Risen
by Skye Parlot
Summary: A NaruHina fanfic. What begins as a spy mission soon becomes a struggle for four young teenagers as they deal with the pressures of life, love, death, and betrayal. A week's time is all it takes for them to learn that life isn't always what it seems.
1. A Prophecy Extracted

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, the characters, show, anything. This story, however, IS mine, so please enjoy, R & R, etc.

**Risen- A Naruto Fanfic  
Chapter One- A Prophecy Extracted**

"It is said that when the Great Demon is sealed away, the Fates of Heaven will deliver down an Angel to serve the purposes of its Awakener, a Risen Spirit among humans. When risen, the Fallen Angel will fight for the cause of it's protectors, whether it brings life or death to the land. Its love will bring it to life, and it's hatred will deliver its purposes to the land."

"Sheer foolishness," snorted the regal man holding the scroll in his hands, eyes skimming over the written prophecy once more checking to see if he read it correctly. He rolled up the scroll quickly and threw it back in the direction of the doorway, which was about twenty feet directly behind him, where another, older man with a cane, stood with a younger apprentice.

"I wouldn't call it foolishness, General," replied the man with the cane. "The Fates have never been know to be wrong." The young man next to him nodded in approval. General Takeno turned to face them in full dissuasion.

"It's been nearly 15 years since the Kyuubi was sealed away, and there have been no reports of this Angel or Spirit or whatever you wish to call it. Their continent is still flourishing while ours is still economically dependant and struggling to get by."

"The war was a century ago," remarked the young man in the doorway. "We're not THAT bad off anymore…"

"Can it, Atsuke." Sneered General Takeno. "The war with the North still crippled us, nonetheless." He took a step in the direction of the two men and dropped his head low. "Though I'll admit it was our ancestors' faults for trying to liberate the powers of the North, I cannot forgive what was done to our leaders and to our main cities and ports. A lot of innocent people lost their lives.."

"I understand that, sir." The older man limped forward on his cane and cleared his throat. "That is why I have come to you with the reminder of this prophecy, my Lord. Our venegance may very well be written on this scroll, that is, if you believe in it.."

"Come on now, Shiro.." The General paused, and looked up at Shiro with his dark red eyes glaring. "Are you telling me that we can awaken this Fallen Angel? That's preposterous!" The General paced to the right now, stepping in the light of the hanging lanterns in the underground room. It was a dark, stone room far from the reaches of any sunlight. Takeno stood now proud in his military vest: a redcoat decorated in many badges, and black pants lined with a thin white stripe going down either end. Over his left shoulder, a black cape draped down almost to his knees, barely covering his stocky but muscular build. Sheathed and held along his belt was a sword which has seen many battles and countless victories.

Shiro, the dark conspiring scientist stepped in the direction of Takeno, his long white lab coat seeming to add extra light into the dimmed room. From his knees down, his work pants are visible, though tattered and ripped along the bottom, and in his left hand, a black cane with a dragon's head for the top. He brushed his long grey hair back from his face and adjusted his glasses. "Most certainly," he replies. "The Fallen Angel will fight for our cause, as it is written. It will bring death and tragedy to those who have brought it to our ancestors and who have brought struggle and pain to us." Takeno's eyes now locked on the mad scientist, who now smirked knowing he had the full attention of the most powerful man on the southern continent. "For fifteen years now, General, I've thought of this prophecy. I've asked myself if it could possibly work, if it could possibly bring justice to this wretched homeland of ours. I've weighed out every option, every outcome, and the reward seems all too fantastic to pass it up."

"Are…" Takeno's eyes widened with a sense of fear he rarely shown to anyone. "Are you sure… I mean, how…. I mean… we don't even know where to look!"

"Ah, but we do," snickered Shiro as he opened his right hand and held it out in front of him. Looking down into it, the glare off of his glasses flared up and shot across the room towards Takeno's face. "I've done some research on the demon, the Kyuubi, and it's history of appearances. My guess is that when it was sealed away, the Fates would have brought the Angel down in the same area in order to protect the people."

"So you're saying we have to search the Northern Continent?" Takeno inquired.

"Not we, my Lord." Shiro turned his head to his apprentice and nodded. Young Atsuke nodded in return and ran off, out of the room."

"Where's he off to?" the General asked.

"To bring you the answer to your problems, General. Now, let me give you this proposition." Shiro hobbled himself over to Takeno and places a hand on his shoulder. "You're the General, the leader of this continent. You're picking this sorry place up and back on its feet. Economically, we've almost fully recovered from the war in the 18 years you've been in power. You've been given an opportunity to relieve the stress of our homeland. Rid the pains and sufferings of our people and their generations of hardships." A small smirk reached the general's lips. "You'd be a living legend, the one who picked Kyoko off of its God-forsaken feet and developed it into one of the leading powers of the world."

"So, what are you saying, my friend..?" Asked the General, eyes locked onto the mad scientist.

"Our forefathers tried to liberate the countries of the world with a united power, working together under one rule. This is your chance to bring their hopes to life. Use the power that's been given to you. The Angel will serve and protect you, and bring you power beyond your wildest dreams." Shiro laughed. "Can you imagine such a power in our hands? The feeling must be incredible! Such strength, such limitless, such perfection! How can you not feel it running through your body even now??"

General Takeno laughed to himself. "It's amazing… you're right. This is our chance. This is our time! To avenge our ancestors, to bring unity to this damned planet, and to rule with a force so convincing, noone would DARE oppose it." He laughed louder. "Tell me, though, my dear friend," he turned to Shiro with a kneiving smile on his face. "How could we possibly find this Spirit?"

"Like I said," Shiro said, motioning towards the doorway. "Leave it to me."

They both turned and saw Atsuke in the doorway with a shadow of a man lurking behind him. The veiled character was almost six feet in height, and appeared to be rather thin and lanky underneath his apparel. He wore a black t-shirt with black pants and shoes, and he covered himself in a body-long black cape; in fact, the only visible part of him was his face, clean and young, and his piercing, sky blue eyes, which stood out behind a curtain of long black shoulder-length hair, which he let drop messily across his head.

"This is Minaya Kaelu, a young, experienced master of the ninja technique."

"Kaelu, huh?" Takeno studied him up and down. "Doesn't look like much of a ninja to me." Kaelu's blue eyes now focused in on the weary General. "You got a problem, boy?" The young mercenary didn't respond.

Shiro cleared his throat. "I hired him to work his way through the Northern Continent and seek out the one who fits the prophecy."

"And just how will he do that?" Retorted Takeno. Shiro just smiled and cackled softly to himself.

"Brute… Force…" he said slowly, catching the attention of everyone except the hired assassin. "Kaelu is fearless and more importantly, merciless. He will tear the villages apart, killing whoever he needs to in order to provoke the forces of the Angel, and once he digs into their heart, he will have Awakened it, and have brought it into our power."

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, Shiro? I'm putting a lot of faith into your plan. If this fails, it could ruin us."

"There will be no failure, my Lord," assured Shiro. "Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new movement in Kyoko's history. The rising of our nation is soon to be." He turned around and, limping on his cane, he exited the room between Kaelu and Atsuke, stopping in the doorway. Without looking back to the General, he laughed. Takeno froze in place, somewhat scared of his new partner.

"Tomorrow, we leave for our first target.." The three then turned and left the room, the sinister old man finishing his final proclamation as he disappeared into the darkness.

".. Konoha Village.."


	2. Reunion

Disclaimer: Hey everybody yeah, I still don't own naruto or anything, though I wish I could. I'd just like to thank people who read and liked my first chapter. This is my first ever fanfiction and I'm excited that people are interested! Please read, review, comment, I could always use the feedback! Hope you enjoy Chapter two!! s.p.

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**Risen- A Naruto Fanfic  
Chapter Two: Reunion**

"Hey! Kakashi-sensei!" yelled Sakura from down the quiet side-street leading to the school. "Where are you headed?" The young, extroverted teenager waved in the direction of the proud teacher and master of copying techniques, and he turned and waved with a smile. Even still, he concealed the majority of his face behind his mask.

"Naruto's coming home! He's on his way back from his travels this afternoon, and the lot of us are going to meet him!" Kakashi smiled and motioned for Sakura to join him at the entrance to the village.

"N-naruto?" Sakura exclaimed in excitement. "I don't believe it! He's been gone over two years!!" She made a mad dash toward Kakashi and, nearly stumbling over other pedestrians in the street, managed to keep herself on her two feet as she approached her mentor and friend.

It's been over two years since Naruto left Konoha to see the world, and though he's been gone, he has hardly been forgotten by the ninja and the villagers of the small community. "A lot of old friends will be there welcoming him," Kakashi explained. "And I'm sure you'd be happy so see some of them again, too. I know you've been busy with your schooling and your training, as have many of them, and I know some of them you haven't seen in some time." Sakura nodded slowly, examining each of his words like a test, like the good student she always was, and still is. "But this is a day of celebration, of friendship and unity within the village and it's partners." He turned to face the direction of the great entrance at the opening of the village. "Many of those who befriended Naruto over the past 3 years are here. Kazekage Gaara of the Sand and his company are some of the most prominent of them, and I'm sure they'd be glad to see you as well."

Sakura's eyes widened, thinking of whom she would possibly see. "What about…?" Kakashi placed a hand upon her shoulder and she stopped and looked up at him. He knew the question, she knew the answer.

Kakashi closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Sakura. Noone has still really heard from him since the incident. For all we know, he might not even been alive now, though I'm sure, with his determination, he's is. I don't know, my dear. It's hard to say if he even is an ally or a friend anymore after what happened, and, even if he comes back, I can't tell you if his intentions would have anything to do with us." Sakura swallowed heavily and drooped her head, and clenched her hands to her chest. She let her light pink hair grow slightly past her shoulders, but not any further. She wore a black shirt with designs of pink cherry blossoms along the sides and bottom. She wore a black knee-high skirt that hugged her legs and had a pink flower stitched into the side by her left thigh.

"I see," she said, disappointed. It was obvious she was thinking of her "first love", or infatuation as she now called it: Uchiha Sasuke. She felt, herself, she was over her naïve obsession and yearning for his attention, but she still cared very much for him and it still pained her to remember the condition he was in at their last meeting, when he was under the control of Orochimaru's Cursed Seal. "That's alright." She picked her up head and smiled warmly at Kakashi. "I'll get to see Naruto again, and it gives me a reason to take time away from my studies. I can't wait to see everyone again."

Kakashi returned the smile with much content. "That'a girl!" he turned around and walked towards the front gate. "I'll see you there, he should be in town in about 10 minutes."

"Okay!" she waived. "See you later!" She waited until Kakashi-sensei was out of sight from her and she sighed softly to herself and looked down towards the ground. An image of a younger Sasuke flashed in her mind, way back from the beginning of their training as Genin, and her smile quickly disappeared. "Sasuke-kun.." she whispered softly… "what's happened to you? I.." she stopped herself and shook her head as if to lose her thoughts, and she took two steps towards the gate before stopping again. "I miss you.."

It was more than just two and a half years to Hinata. This was about days, hours, minutes, even seconds. This was every breath, every moment, it seemed. "How could I think of him so much?" she asked herself for what seemed to be the millionth time since she last saw him.

"I've worked hard, every day," she explained to herself, twiddling with her fingers in front of her. "I've waited for this day for so long, it's pained me to go this long without you." The now-chuunin Hinata shook her head back and let her long, violet hair fly out of her own face and rest on her back. "Naruto-kun," she started. "I've accepted how I feel about you, Naruto. You really do mean so much to me and I can't.. I can't put into words how much. I'm in.." She stopped when she heard all of the commotion coming from the gate at the entrance of the village, and she looked up just in time to see some of the younger generation of genin shouting and waving.

Hinata looked up to the sky, where she often daydreamed her sweetheart's image in the clouds. This time, however, the skies were clear, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught a couple of morning doves swooping over the wall of the gate, leaving the village. Her eyes drifted down towards the crowd as she managed to see two silhouettes approaching. Almost instinctively, she recognized the smaller of the two, and her heart, on cue, skipped a beat. Butterflies aflutter, she clutched her hand nervously to her chest and lowered her head away from the scene.

"..I'm in love with you, Uzumaki Naruto," she confessing, trembling both inside and out, "I just hope that one day, you'll know this."

She gathered just enough of herself to walk over to the gate. Each step she took, every passing second, she caught a better glimpse of him, his features became more profound, more beautiful to her. Her tender heart began to pound furiously until she was in the midst of the crowd, amongst both new and familiar faces.

"So you made it?" a voice from behind her said. She snapped her head back to see Kiba smirking at her. "I wouldn't expect you to miss this." Kiba stood there in his favorite outfit, Akamaru perched contently beside him. he smiled and greeted Hinata with two excited barks.

"Kiba-kun!" She replied, happy to see a familiar face. "You came to see Naruto, too?" He nodded in reply. "Yeah, I figured I'd get a good look at this hot-shot, see if he trained or if he just goofed off this whole time." Kiba rolled his shoulders forward once and cracked his neck. "I'd personally like to get into a spar with him, see what exactly he can do. It's not like I've sat around this whole time he's been gone, I have some new tricks up my sleeves, too!" He placed his hand on Akamaru's head. "Isn't that right, buddy?" Akamaru barked in approval, getting Hinata to chuckle and momentarily forget her previous anxiety, though not for long. In almost an instant, Hinata's eyes fixed themselves right back towards the entrance. Kiba didn't try to get her attention back, he knew more than anybody what her focus was on, but it's not like she'd tell anybody, especially Naruto.

"Welcome back, buddy," Kiba said to himself, cracking his knuckles jokingly. "We've got some catching up to do."

Sakura pushed and shoved her way through the crowd to get as close to the entrance as she possibly could, and just in time, too. As she squeezed through a pair of villagers, she nearly stumbled forward into a very large, exuberant old man, she pulled herself back, "Oh my, I'm sorry, sir! I didn't mean to bump into you I was just…" she stopped as she looked up to see no one but Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin, and Uzumaki Naruto by his side, giggling to himself at the sight of Sakura's charade. "Jiraiya!" She exclaimed, only to divert her attention almost immediately to the one next to him. "Naruto-k.." She paused. 'I've never used that expression for him before' she thought to herself, brushing it off so as to not ruin the moment. "Naruto!! It's been so long!"

His blue eyes, as always around her, lit up. "Sakura-chan!" he shouted, though only a couple feet away. "I missed you!" His eyes ran up and down her figure, and she blushed slightly, though Naruto didn't notice. "You've changed quite a bit, Sakura-chan. You look… pretty." Naruto said, fumbling with his words. Sakura merely nodded and turned more red to herself. Everyone else was in a bustle trying to greet Naruto, and he looked about and put his hand to the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I didn't know I'd be missed so much," he laughed to himself. "I might as well make my rounds and say hi to everybody!" He said, yelling by the end of the sentence, getting a couple of cheers and responses from the crowd. "But before I do," he turned to Sakura, smiled, and approached her. "Hello to you." He said, softly under his voice, and hugged her. Sakura gasped and for a second, didn't move, didn't know how to respond, until finally, she wrapped her arms around him and embraced him.

"Nice to see you again," she replied as she allowed herself to calmly rest herself against him in a moment of brief gratification.

Hinata's eyes widened and she let her jaw slightly drop down. 'Naruto-kun is…' she gasped to herself almost unnoticeably. 'Naruto-kun is hugging Sakura.' With a sense of defeat, she dropped her head low and away from the affections. Her heart became heavy, and she began to feel as if her true love might be too far out of reach, that she was being left in the dark. Hinata clenched her jaw and held in her tears. 'Why don't I have the courage,' she asked herself. 'What's wrong with me? Why can I not just… be who I want to be? I want him to have my attention, not…' she took a deep breath and with a big exhale, relaxed her jaw. She caught herself, how she was acting, what she was thinking. No, she wouldn't allow herself to be jealous. Though, letting her eyes drift back to the hugging pair, she knew this would be no easy task.

"Are you okay, Hinata?" Kiba asked, knowing already what was wrong.

The young chuunin nodded her head once. "I'm fine." This wasn't the first time she's lied to others, or herself about Naruto…

"Now or never.." Hinata explained to herself. Kiba turned to look her in the eyes, but her focus was on the young blonde in front of her. She took a deep breath and stepped forward and, eventually, through the crowd.

Naruto let go of Sakura and gazed into her eyes. 'I'm really glad to see Sakura-chan again,' he thought to himself. 'I wonder who else came to see me. I wonder if...' then out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar face approach him, pardoning her way through the crowd. He found it a little cute how she was apologizing to everyone she bumped into, even if they didn't care or notice. He cracked a warm smile in her direction.

"Hinata.." he said to himself, and Sakura turned her head to look where Naruto was looking and she saw her, progressing slowly towards them. Naruto's smile grew warmer. He knew Hinata cared a lot for him, and it made him feel good knowing someone who cares so much came to see him. He stepped towards her extending a hand. "Hey, Hinata!" Hinata's eyes immediately drifted from Naruto's eyes to his hand, and she began to turn red with a very familiar feeling.

"Naruto-kun…" she answered, trembling slightly. 'I wonder if Naruto-kun wants to hold my hand…' she pondered to herself. She pulled herself together the best she could and responded, cherry-eyed and happily. "I've missed you, Naruto-kun. Hi!" She began to blush heavily and settled to hiding behind her tapping fingers again. Naruto giggled and pulled his hand back behind his head.

"I'm glad to see you haven't really changed, Hinata." He laughed to himself. His warm smile returning, he reached forward and put his hand behind Hinata's left ear and stroked down her hair swiftly. She froze in complete shock. Naruto smiled. "It's good to see you."

Naruto turned to Sakura and Jiraiya. "I'm going to take a stroll around the village, see who else is around, and see what changed!" Excitement filled his voice. "Man, have I missed this place! I'll see you around, Ero-sennin. Bye, Sakura-chan!" He turned his head to Hinata and nodded in acknowledgement "Bye, Hinata," he smiled, and with that he had jumped over the crowd of people, into the middle of the adjacent street, and taken off down the road to get refamiliar with his old home.

The crowd began to disperse, ready to continue on with their daily routines and errands, and in the center of all the bustle, Hinata stood still, frozen in time, furiously daydreaming about Naruto, and the split second of affection displayed towards her. "Maybe…" she said aloud to herself, unaware of Kiba standing a few feet behind her. She placed her hand gently to her left ear and smiled childishly. "Maybe he does…" Kiba sighed and shook his head.

"Hinata, you're really beyond any kind of help," he laughed to himself. "It's kind of entertaining to watch sometimes." Hinata snapped out of it and turned to immediately try to defend her case against Kiba.

"Kiba, it's not what you think!" She shouted, thinking raising her voice would get her point across any better. "I haven't seen him in two years and… and…" Kiba began to laugh softly. "It's not funny, Kiba-kun! I'm not beyond help!"

"I'll tell him you said hi," and he started running forward, teasing Hinata even further. "Hey, Naruto!! Hinata has something she wants to tell you!"

"Kiba-kun!!!"

That first bite was all it took.

Naruto smiled with glee as he swallowed down that first bite of Ichiraku's ramen, the first in what was far too long. This was Naruto's home-cooked meal, and being he had been away from home for a couple years, this welcome back treat was more than glorious.

"Eat up, boy!" Ichiraku said, treating Naruto to his first meal back in Konoha. "There's plenty more where that came from!"

"Alright!!" Naruto pumped his fist, chopsticks in hand, and proceeded to basically inhale the ramen, having the entire serving devoured in minutes. Ichiraku never grew tired of watching this. In fact, he had missed it. Watching Naruto wolf down a meal so fast was quite humorous.

"So, what have you been up to recently?" He had his back turned to Naruto as he faced his workplace, preparing a meal for another hungry visitor.

"I traveled the country, the entire continent!" Naruto exclaimed, trying to exaggerate by stretching his arms out as far as he can, only to hit the customer two seats over.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Sorry, old man," he responded. He turned back to the chef. "Anyway, it was incredible! I saw places I never knew existed, and I trained with Ero-sennin, and I learned some knew techniques, and, and you should see them sometime!" His friend kept nodding his head while preparing the ramen. He knew that this explanation could take a while.

"And now I'm back, and I'm stronger than ever, and.." he pounded his fist down hard onto the counter, grabbing the attention of both Ichiraku and the customer.

"And now, just you watch. There's a new Hokage in town, and his name.." he did he trademark point into the direction of where the monument stood. ".. is Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Boy, you're something else," The amused chef laughed as he stirred the boiling water. "You haven't changed a bit with all yer yappin' and yellin' and proclamations of being Hokage. I'm sure everyone is still going to tell you that yer mouth will get you in trouble one of these days." Naruto shot a glare at the chef as he turned and handed a bowl of ramen to his other customer, and then placed one in front of Naruto. Naruto looked down at the bowl as if a gift from God was placed in front of him, then looked up at Ichiraku with a surprised look.

"But you're a growing boy, and I see that in fact, you have grown up a lot," he continued. "I'm sure I'll hear great stories about you, Naruto, but for now, eat up." Naruto smiled, and the chef nodded his head and turned back around to clean up his stove. "You've had a long journey, you deserve the rest. Just sit back and let the world turn, enjoy your meal, the people around you, and give your mind a break."

"Thanks, old man!" He shouted out, and dipped his chopsticks in for his first bite, then he stopped, and reminded himself why he went through all of this training. As wonderful as that first bite of Ramen was, the loss of his first close friend was just as painful a memory. He frowned and looked down into the bowl, looking at a dirty, blurry reflection of himself in the soup.

"Sasuke…" he mumbled to himself. "One day.." he was interrupted by a concerned Ichiraku.

"Hey! You enjoy that ramen NOW, or you're paying!!"

"Ahhhh! Yes sir! Sorry, sir!!"

The breeze was gentle over the calm ocean. The strong winds and light rain that hit the shores of Kyoko earlier in the morning had dissipated and now, in the afternoon, there were more seagulls in the sky than there were clouds. The only things visible from above were schools of fish glimmering just underneath the surface of the water, and a lone boat, crawling northward.

At the front end of the boat, a young boy of twelve stood quietly, looking out at the open ocean. His short, red hair rustled a bit in the wind gust, as did his green, body-length cape. He sported a dark red sleeveless sweater and black cargo pants, which fell to his ankles which were protected by his sandals. On his arm, clearly visible in the summer sunlight, was a scar, resembling a star.

With nothing disturbing his view, Atsuke gazed blankly out to sea. Appearing calm, he was, in fact, far from it, as hundreds of thoughts raced through his mind..

"Atsuke!! Get out of here!!"

His heart shot in pain and he threw himself forward, leaning his head on the railing.

"He'll kill you, too!! Find somewhere safe to go, hurry!!"

A tear escaped and rolled down his cheek.

"NOOOWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

And then, in his mind, a gunshot, and then, the deathly silence that followed. Atsuke remained silent and still on the deck, before dropping to his knees and grabbing the railing as if in a prison cell. He allowed a couple more tears to stream down his cheeks, then he wiped is eyes and got back on his feet, looking down, over the railing to the water.

"Father.." he said to himself, softly. "Why did you die? I miss you, dad. Mother misses you, and I'm sure big brother misses you, too.. Why, father, why?" He shook his head tried furiously to calm down and forget about this incident when a lobby door flew open a few yards behind him.

"Calm yourself, boy." The dark, gentle voice called out to him, carried by the warm breeze. Atsuke turned sharply towards the door and saw Shiro's weapon, his trump card. This was the first he's heard him speak since the beginning of the mission. "What's the matter? You look so upset."

"I'm fine," Atsuke snapped back. An awkward silenced followed between the two, with only the waves and wind making enough commotion to keep calm on the boat. Kaelu, without his cape on, wearing a light, black, silk shirt, approached his accomplice. Atsuke looked into the dark eyes of Kaelu in awe. 'How can somebody as gentle and calm as this be a murderer?'

"Atsuke, you're still so very young," Kaelu said softly, each word catching his listener's attention more and more. "And you've been made to grow up far faster than you should have, but that's the way of a shinobi sometimes. We have to deal with different facts of life early, and often. I began training as a ninja at four years old, and that's when I lost my father." He said this so calmly it made Atsuke tremble slightly. "Since then, I've been a wanderer, moving from village to village my entire life, doing odd job and mercenary missions my whole life, just to survive, just to get by day-by-day." Atsuke's eyes began to wander. "Atsuke!"

The young genin jumped and shot his hazel eyes right back to the assassin. "You don't know what it feels like to not have a home.. to not ever be able to go back where you came from.." Kaelu choked slightly on his words. "I've been an exile since I was four years old, Atsuke. They'll kill me if I go back." Atsuke's frown grew and tears began to form again.

"I became a chuunin in a village miles and miles away, when I was five, and a jounin when I was seven, in Gozaku, which is way on the other side of the continent. I've always been on the move, learning so many different techniques, different fighting styles. I must've had a hundred different teachers by now. I didn't need to be a resident of a village to earn my titles, I've made myself to be a truly exceptional ninja. I've adapted to so many teaching techniques, and I've proven myself jounin-worthy in practically all of the villages I've visited."

"Wow," Atsuke exclaimed, at a loss of words. "So why did you come back to the East, to Kyoko?"

Kaelu explained. "I wasn't really looking to go anywhere. I heard the economy was picking up in Kyoko and I figured I'd look for a job or a mission with a higher pay so that maybe I could settle down for once in my life." He continued, "When I got there, I heard that Dr. Kagetsu Shiro had asked for me and was offering a handsome amount of money for this mission. I accepted, of course, but.." he blinked his eyes a couple of times in question. "I want to know how he knows me, and why he specifically asked for me.

"Maybe he knows you're the best ninja on the whole continent!"

Kaelu smirked, "Yeah, maybe.." he retorted, wanting to believe that was the only reason. He felt something about Shiro and something about this mission was a little off, but he had two more days of sailing to worry about that. He pat Atsuke on the shoulder twice and turned to go back into the deck lobby. Reaching the door, he took a quick glance up to the blue sky in a last attempt to calm his doubts, curiosities, and long-forgotten vengeance.


	3. Dawn

Another disclaimer: I don't own these people, the original story, you all know that. I just like writing this fanfic. Again, I'd lik to thank all of my readers for taking the time to sit down and enjoy what I'm writing, Any comments and reviews would _always _be appreciated. Enjoy Chapter 3 of Risen and I'll talk to yall soon!

..s.p.

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**Risen- A Naruto fanfic  
Chapter Three: Dawn**

The sun shone brightly in the mid-afternoon sky as Uzumaki Naruto made his way down the street towards her. His eyes never moved off of hers, and his smile was enough to dispel any doubt of anything within her. She felt as if she could fly whenever he was around, and here he was, coming down the street. Her heart pounded, she could only imagine what is intention was.

"Hyuuga Hinata," he called out calmly, approaching her. Her eyes widened and her smile grew. "Hinata-Chan.." she began to turn red with anxiety and she ran to greet him.

"Naruto-kun," she responded almost as if on cue, as a slight breeze blew and morning doves once patrolling the streets flew up behind him, leaving a dazzling display of white feathers. She could feel herself blushing and, this time, felt no reason to hide it or shun her face. She missed Naruto with all of her heart, and she told herself, countless times, that she would have nothing to hide.

"I've missed you, Hinata." He reached out for her hand. "I've thought about you since the day I left." Her heart began to race, and she felt she could faint at any moment from the sheer thrill of the moment.

"Naruto-kun, I.." She took a second to look away and take a deep breath, and continued, believing she might not get another chance. "Naruto, I.." She was interrupted as everything around her went pitch black. She looked up and stared into an infinite nothingness. "Naruto," she asked herself, not hearing his voice but, instead, eerie high-pitched whistles and groans that seemed paranormal. Finally, a familiar voice..

"Hinata!"

She turned around to see Naruto, strapped down to a table, ankles and wrists locked in, head strapped down. She gasped and clutched at her chest. 'No, this isn't real!' she told herself, 'it can't be real, it CAN'T be!"

Standing over young Uzumaki were two ninja, dressed in long black robes with red clouds along the bottom. One she had recognized by pure intuition, the one she had heart countless horror stories of: Uchiha Itachi.

The one next to him spoke. "This is the one we're looking for, right?"

"Yes," Itachi replied. "This is no doubt Uzumaki Naruto, the Jinchuuriki. He possesses the Kyuubi. At long last, our search is over." He reached forward and grabbed Uzumaki's shirt and ripped it open, exposing the winding seal on his navel. Hinata began to shudder in fear. She knew of Naruto's history and possession, but she was seeing the actual seal for the first time, and now he was at the mercy of Uchiha Itachi, and there was nothing she could do. She couldn't move, she couldn't scream out for help, her body just quivered quietly. Her heart felt like tearing into pieces, her loved one was about to die in front of her eyes.

Itachi pulled out a kunai and examined it carefully before placing it on the surface of Naruto's stomach. "Let's do this.."

Hinata couldn't take it anymore. She used every bit of will power she had within her and gave herself one last desperate scream.

"Naruto-kun!!!"

The room around her was silent as her eyes slowly focused themselves back to where she was: in her bedroom. She looked back and forth, searching every visible area of the room, expecting her true love to be there, even though she was telling herself that the idea was completely ridiculous.

The heir to the Hyuuga throne was having nightmares almost on a daily basis for almost a year, now. This has caused her to change quite a bit. These dreams have motivated her to become stronger and more confident in herself, but they have also physically drained her. Her cumulative loss of sleep has added up and has began to wear her body down from lack of rest.

"Naruto," she said, almost at a whisper. She frowned and her hands began to tremble at her sides. She hated always feeling this tired, this worried, this depressed. The stress of being the heir to her bloodline was bad enough. Having to have nightmares of her true love dying in front of eyes for what seemed to be every night? There's only so much a fifteen-year old girl can take.

Her door flew open. She picked her head up in fright and grabbed the blanket to cover herself. She only wore her nightshirt to bed, at least, when she was in the comfort of her own home. Standing in the doorway was her cousin, calm but worried nonetheless.

"What's going on in here?!" He demanded. "Are you alright?"

"N-Neji! Yes, I'm fine.." she turned her head to look away from him. Neji had never really been the nicest person to Hinata in the past, but during her depression, he felt obligated to help take care of her. Through her recent training, he had finally began to see the potential in her, and it pained him to see how much she was hurting on the inside. Aside from her girl friends, he offered the most help.

"I heard," he stopped, biting his lip at what he was about to say. "I heard you yell Uzumaki's name." She blushed and hid most of her face under her blanket, not so much ashamed but, rather, scared of what Naruto's rival might say about him.

"If it means that much to you, I'll see to it that he sees you tomorrow." She dropped both the blanket and her jaw. Neji wanted her to see Naruto?? The same Neji that called him a loser and a dropout? This couldn't be, but she couldn't say that. She actually didn't know what to say..

"Th-thank you, Neji-san." She bowed her head slightly forward. "I'm s-sorry if I scared you." He nodded and responded with a caring tone of voice.

"It's no problem. The Hokage's breakfast is tomorrow. If he's not there, I'll drag him there. Just please, take care of yourself." He turned to exit and, with his back turned, he paused and looked back at her. "How's your arm feeling today?"

Hinata's eyes dimmed and the sadness returned to her face. "It's.. okay.." She knew she couldn't hide anything from Neji. If she didn't tell him, his eyes would tell him all he needed to know.

"Please.." Neji whispered with a slight quiver in his voice.

Hinata was at the verge of crying now, herself.

"Please don't… ever do that again, Hinata." She felt a tear roll down her cheek at those words. She felt ashamed of herself. "Someone once told me.. a drop-out can defeat a genius with hard work." She looked up and her eyes connected with his.

"I know you'll do the same. You'll get through this, I promise." And with that, Hyuuga Neji stepped out of the threshold and shut the bedroom door behind him. It only took the sound of the lock clicking back into place to send her into her blanket, sobbing. She didn't like who she had become. She wore a mask for her sensei, her team, and her friends. Nobody saw what the real Hyuuga Hinata had become, and she knew that this had to stop. Things needed to change, and maybe the return of Uzumaki Naruto would be just what the doctor ordered.

Once she gathered herself, Hinata laid her head upon her pillow and closed her eyes, hoping that her body would let her get some much-needed rest. She knew she worried far too much about everything, her friends, her studies, her training, her family, and..

No, she wouldn't put this on Naruto's shoulders. 'This isn't his burden to carry', she thought. 'I have to get through this myself..'

But she couldn't forget what happened that dreadful evening. It haunted her so very painfully. She shuddered underneath her blankets just thinking about it and she curled up even tighter, hoping that these memories would just leave her alone.

She crossed her arms and touched the scar on her left arm. She winced, still feeling the burn..

_"Hinata!! What have you done??"_

She remembered the entire night. The tears, the panic, the fire, the kunai, and she knew that she could never take back what happened..

Hinata placed the blade of the kunai into the fire, and it sat there while she paced about the room, talking to herself.

_ 'Why can't I ever do anything right..?_

_Still black._

_'Why must I be looked down upon..'_

_Dark silver.._

_'Why does nobody believe in what I can do..?"_

_Getting brighter.._

_'I can't live with this..'_

_Growing red.._

_'I can't live without you!'_

_Redder and redder.._

_'I must be strong for you!'_

_Now bright red.._

_And she screamed out at the top of her lungs, "And I'll show everyone that I can be strong for you!!!"_

_The door opened behind her and Neji took one step in as Hinata grabbed the handle of the Kunai from the fire._

_"HINATA!! NOOO!"_

...................

..and the deed was done.

"Hinata…" a whisper...

'Did I fall asleep..? Naruto..?'

She listened carefully.

For the first time in a long time, the vibe in the bedroom seemed calm, with only the stirring of the nearby brook. Without any warning to the simplicity around her, Hinata's eyes shot open. She lifted her head up, hearing the echo of his call, though only imaginary. Her name, audible to only her conscience, fluttered through the cold evening air. He couldn't be calling to her, she thought to herself. It's just not like him. 'I'm just hearing his voice in my head again' she slowly explained to herself. She moved the hair out of her face and closed her eyes again, resting her head back onto her pillow.

Something was different. She felt warm. 'Just hearing him..' she thought to herself.

"..makes me feel like I can do this."

She took a deep breath, and, exhaling, she felt she could flush that all away: the stress, the expectations, everything. She felt life within her again, a newfound confidence. She looked back on all of the memories, all of his words, his antics, and his teachings. Maybe this was a new beginning for her after all. Maybe this was real..

"Naruto, I can't even explain how you do this to me, but.."

Some things in life don't need an explanation, as Naruto's words from years past marched through her heart..

'I like.. people like you...'

"Naruto-kun..." she whispered, as she sailed her fondest wishes and desires into her vast, new dream world. "You bring me back to life, Naruto. One day, I promise you.. I'll return the favor."

"Welcome home."

"So you're the Kazekage now.." asked a stunned Uzumaki at the Hokage's breakfast gathering. It wasn't the earliest breakfast ever (if anything, Tsunade herself likes to sleep in more than anybody at the actual gathering), but many guests did arrive for the festivities. Amongst Naruto and Tsunade at the meal were Shizune, the Godaime's honored assistant, and their pet pig, Tonton, the three Sand Village siblings were in attendance, as were the other six whom Naruto had graduated with. Konohamaru was there, but not to mingle with others as much as just to mooch off of the buffet table.

Naruto stood with a plate in hand, eyeing Gaara of the Sand up and down, getting a good look at his old nemesis and friend. Kankouro examined Naruto just the same way.

"What is it to you?" Gaara responded calmly.

"Nothing, that's just... amazing." Naruto smiled and nodded in most approval. "Wow, you're the Kazekage. Sucks to be me," he laughed at his own expense. "I'm just gonna have to work harder to catch up to you, now!" Gaara chuckled at this statement.

"Just don't hurt yourself, Uzumaki," he said wryly. "I can't afford to save your little punk-ass again and again."

Naruto couldn't contain himself and burst into laughter. 'Since when does Gaara have a sense of humor?' he thought. 'The old Gaara would never even think to crack a remark like that!'

"What's so funny?" Kankouro butted in.

Naruto calmed himself. "Nothing, It's just.." Naruto looked around and, unlike the afternoon before, really took a second to get a good look at all of his old classmates and peers. "It seems like everyone's basically more grown-up." Gaara continue to stare at him. "I didn't mean it like that!! I'm not saying you used to act like a kid, what I mean is.." he calmed himself down. "What I mean is, everyone is just coming of age and accepting themselves." He shot another quick glance at Hinata, believing to himself he can get away with it. He looked back to Gaara before he made a habit of this.

"I'm glad to hear you're the Kazekage though. Congratulations, Gaara. I'm sure you'll do the Sand Village proud." Gaara nodded with a slight smirk and extended his hand. Naruto took it and with a firm shake, pledged once again he would one day beat Gaara.

"Geez, cut it out, Naruto." Kankouro said. "You act all tough saying you're going to be the Hokage and you haven't been home twenty-four hours. Take a break, that's what we're here for." Gaara nodded, not really responding all too much.

Kankouro took a quick glance around. "Hey, brother. Have you seen Temari?"

Gaara shook his head. "I'm pretty sure I know who she's with." Kankouro sighed in agreement. It was quite obvious to him, too. "And if he touches her, I swear.."

"Hey hey hey!" Naruto said, cutting into the threat. "Let's not worry about that! The buffet is over there, lets go grab some food and have a drink. We'll toast to the old times!" He motioned Gaara and Kankouro to the buffet table, basically pushing them along. 'Damnit, Shikamaru!' he thought to himself, trying to cover for his friend. 'You picked the wrong girl, you lazy son-of-a..' he stopped. Not because Gaara looked angry, not because Kankouro had gone after Shikamaru, but because who was standing at the punch bowl in front of him.

Silently sipping away with her back facing the Ero-Sennin's pupil, Hyuuga Hinata stood, dressed in a black shirt with frilled sleeves and an ankle-length, white skirt. Jiraiya-sama always said it was rude to stare, but Naruto was just now learning why it was so hard not to do so.

While Gaara and Kankouro went off to enjoy their meal, Naruto kept looking around the room, then back to Hinata. Table, then to Hinata. Wave to Kakashi-sensei, back over to Hinata. "Wow.." he said to himself. What was he saying?? He was here to enjoy everyone's company, to mingle, to have a good time!

He looked around the room and, all of a sudden, didn't really seem to find anything really fancy about it. This was just one of the Hokage's offices with extra tables and chairs and with the walls decorated with balloons and ribbons. Sure, the free food is awesome, but aside from Gaara's new rank, nothing caught Uzumaki's interest. That is, no one except..

"Oh my goodness, what's wrong with me?" He shook his head, unaware of how loud that actually came out. He gave her one more look, up and down, following every curve, up to her face, which was turned away from him, which he so desperately wanted to see. He thought back to the day before..

"Nice to see you again, Hinata…"

Maybe he liked her. He couldn't tell, he barely knew if he really liked Sakura of if he just wanted a lot of attention. Maybe he just wanted her attention. She always seemed to give it to him, and maybe he just wanted to say hi. 'That's it!' he thought to himself. 'I'll just say hi and strike up a conversation and just let this blow over. I mean, it's not like a like the girl or anything, it's just…' He felt his eyes go up and down her body once more, and his eyes were halfway up to her head when she turned her head around and saw him, mid-glance. He continued thinking to himself. 'I can't stop this, damnit! I can't help it, She really is..'

"Naruto-kun, did you say something before?"

"… hot."

Everything seemed to pause around them. Hinata could feel the blushing rise to her cheeks, and she was as red as she'd ever been. Naruto was frozen. 'Shit! How do I get out of this one?!' He was caught red-handed. She caught him eyeing her up, basically staring at her chest when she had turned around, and now he'd have to wiggle his way out of this. 'Just stay calm,' he told himself. 'You can do this..'

"I mean.. uhm.., I was just saying that.."

Hinata was in a whole other world. Did she just catch Naruto checking her out? Naruto?! This couldn't be happening! She felt the blush on her cheeks and tried her hardest to stay calm. She thought it was cute how he was fumbling with his words, and she decided she'd give him a chance.

"Well, you know, I was eating breakfast and, well..." In a last ditch effort, he shook his left hand violently. "HOT!! That roll I picked up was really hot, oh my God!!" Hinata nodded, and turned to the dessert table, where the rolls were a good ten feet away.

"You know how tricky those rolls can be!" Thinking he was in the clear, he put his hands to his sides and cocked his head back. "But I'm ready for ANYTHING! I can withstand the heat! A-HAHAHA!" He leaned back onto the table behind him and put his hand right on the side of the tray, which had been cooking above a slender fire for hours now.

"Naruto-kun…" She knew what was coming. She'd seen the routine before, and, to Naruto's displeasure, it never got old. She smiled, waiting, and after a couple of seconds, the silence had broke, and it happened.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!" Naruto's eyes widened and he flailed about the area, bumping into some guests and some nearby tables. "HOOOOOT!!! HOT HOT HOT HOT!!! He shook his hand furiously as if summer air would cool it down any faster. After about 20 seconds of entertainment, he dove, face-first, into the cooler of ice.

Everyone's conversations had stopped, briefly, to watch Uzumaki Naruto in his latest performance. To some, (okay, well, most) it was nothing new. To others, this was something they had maybe not seen from Naruto, though they expected it. The legend was indeed true: Uzumaki Naruto was the number one loudmouth ninja in all of Konoha, and this moment did not go unappreciated.

"It's great to have Naruto back.."

"Things seem back to normal now that he's back!

"How can you not laugh? What a great kid..."

"Uzumaki Naruto, what a troublesome individual.."

Jiraiya turned to Kakashi and laughed. "Well, at least I brought him back in one piece!" Kakashi nodded and looked over to his old student, rubbing his hand as he walked back over to Hinata. Hinata giggled and shook her head. She found all of his attempts to act impressive were simply adorable.

Kakashi turned to Jiraiya, "He's really happy to be home. I'm sure he'll stay out of trouble."

Jiraiya smirked and motioned Kakashi to look back toward the two young ninja. "Oh, I think he's going to find more trouble here than he ever has.."

Maybe for Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata, things weren't quite back to normal..

"How much longer?"

"We should arrive by dawn tomorrow." Kaelu seemed as collected as ever.

Atsuke sat at the small table in the corner of the hull lobby, He spent most of the evening drawing. The wind outside had picked up and slight showers were touching down. Atsuke was a fantastic artist, his current masterpiece was a dragon, standing tall atop a mountainside, looking out to the sunset over a vast, green valley. He never really showed his art to anybody, though Kaelu seemed to have an appreciation for it.

"You're excited to get to shore, huh?" The young boy nodded. "Your drawing says it all. You want to see what's out there, what's on the horizon." He got up from his wooden bed and walked and talked about the small hull. "You want to see the world for its beauty!"

"Oh, I've been to Konoha before, Kaelu. I went on a vacation." Kaelu turned to his assistant. "My best friend's grandparents live up here and we came a few summer back for a vacation."

"Really now?"

"Yeah, his grandfather used to be a ninja many years back, and he stopped fighting when he lost a son in battle. He sent his other son, my dad, far away, to the Southern Continent to find a job and be safe from potential harm. Every summer, my friend goes to visit them, and one time, I got to go." Kaelu was struck funny by that last statement... His grandparents... Atsuke's father..? Kaelu decided he wouldn't press too much on this topic right now. Atsuke seemed to be highly anticipating this "vacation," though it was anything but.

Kaelu cracked a smile. "I'm excited too, boy, but we have a job to do. We're on a very risky mission, and I'd hate to waste my time taking a vacation. This has to be done for the benefit of us, our homes and.." he paused a moment. "For those who are important to us." Atsuke looked up at him. Kaelu put his hand to Atsuke's head and smiled. "I'm sure your mother would appreciate the extra money so that you could help her out." The young boy nodded in approval. "Good."

"Kaelu?"

"What is it, little guy?" Kaelu asked in return.

"Did your father ever take you places? Where was he from? What did he do?"

Kaelu was ready to tell him the truth, as empty as it was. "I didn't really know my father. I don't know where he was from, what he did, or why he did anything. We never really went anywhere, we just stayed in the mountains of my village and trained. Kuu-sensei was my dad's teacher for years, way before I was born. All they expected of me was to be a great ninja, and nothing else." His face grew with worry, and his eyes longed for answers. Answers, now.

"Hey, Atsuke.." he asked.

"What is it, Ka-san?"

"Do you think you could take your great drawing there and go to your cabin? I need a moment to myself, please.."

"Sure thing, boss!" Atsuke grabbed his pencil and his papers, most of them blank, and scampered across the lobby to his cabin. He shot a quick look of concern to Kaelu before shutting the door and going to work in the "comfort" of his temporary bedroom.

Kaelu walked back over to the desk he was sitting at before and skimmed through all of the papers that detailed the mission. "The Fallen Angel, huh?" He scrutinized every page: maps of Konoha, important figures, the history of the Kyuubi, and more. He began to search frantically through the papers, at least thirty, until he found a clip of papers that might give him the answer he was looking for.

**PREVIOUS HUNTS FOR THE FALLEN ANGEL**

Maybe this would tell him what he needed to know. He cautiously turned past the cover page, sweat dripping down his forehead. Knowing the truth might be far more taxing than this mission itself. Could he handle what he feared he might already know? Gulping down in preparation for the worst, Kaelu led his eyes down to the top of that first page.

_"December 21st, 2021. Less than three months after the Kyuubi had been sealed away, protecting Konoha village and the Northern Continent, the ghost of Hidetsukaa Toma, one of the most prominent figures in our Continent's history, is said to have appeared to political leaders across the nations, speaking of a prophecy sent down from the fates. It is concurred that he spoke of a living spirit here on Earth, a Fallen Angel, with the ability to grant life or death to whatever it so chooses. In his final haunting words, he declared._

_'By year's end, born will be a the savior of a people, and a bane to those who stand in it's way. The Fallen Angel will one day awaken and bring balance to those of whom its favor rests.'"_

He continued on, hastily, his mind soaking up every word, every detail. He just had to read on, he just had to know if this was the hunt that haunted his past and doomed him for the rest of his life. He turned the page and read the second article:

_"December 27th, a radiant flash of light was seen traveling across the sky over the land for miles on end, and in seconds, disappeared into the darkness of space. There was no doubt that these displays came from the north, though it is unclear of whether the light began in our land or traveled from the Northern Continent.. The prophecy left behind may be at hand. Tonight, it is believed that the Fallen Angel, as told by Hidetsukaa Toma, has been born."_

_"March 15th, 2026. It has been over four years since the prophesized Fallen Angel was said to have been born to us, though no signs of it have been seen to date. A new case is being investigated in which a prodigal student from Ratsuka, a small village outside of Kyoko, is said to possess superhuman qualities. The child, remaining anonymous for confidential purposes, became a ninja at four years old, showing talent and abilities far beyond his years. He trains with his father, Minaya Oroyo and his teacher, Hidetsukaa Igokuu, the last descendant of the great Hidetsukaa Toma. Igokuu, exiled from Kyoko for radical beliefs against our governemt, has declined comments on the situation for over four years, since his ancestor supposedly hailed the prophecy."_

Kaelu's eyes widened. This couldn't be! It was all coming together so fast, so sudden, his hands shook as he help the papers, but he had to keep reading. He had to put an end to this mystery, his mystery..

_"April 15th, 2026. Many people live their lives in fear and worry. They believe that the Fallen Angel is a sent punishment from the Hidetsukaa clan for the ineffective and brash decisions made by the governing officials a century ago. Hidetsukaa Toma, a known radicalist during those times, refused to help in the liberation attempt, saying it would haunt them and their families for eternity._

_Toma's death came twenty-one days after the South accepted defeat. Though it is said he died from natural causes, this, even today, is debated by most scholars._

_Citizens of the capital of Kyoko fear that his now-lone descendant, Hidetsukaa Igokuu had sealed the Angel into the newborn child of his pupil over four years ago. People believe this "restroration of balance" might actually be the overthrowing and destruction of the current government, led by General Riu Takeno, and the rise of a new, liberal power._

_Mr. Hidetsukaa Igokuu will be charged with treason against the nation and governing powers of Kyoko, and will be sentenced to death.."_

The pamphlet slammed shut.

"Nooo!!" Kaelu screamed, escaping the horror, feeling truly scared for the first time since his childhood. The boat rocked gently in the current, and the wind whisted through cracks in the deck windows, blowing down the stairs. He lifted his own hands and stared blankly into them, full of emotion and thought, nearing what seemed to be imminent panic.

"Am I really.. that.. that thing?!" His breathing grew heavier. "Is that why... why Kuu-sensei was hunted down? Was father... was he caught, too??" His mind flashed back to that morning on the boat."

"I began training as a ninja since I was four years old, and that's when I lost my father.."

"Dad.." he said to himself, softly. "I don't know where you are but.. when I was separated from you and mom, it was the most painful experience for me." He choked back tears, not that anybody else was around to see them. "I wish I could've seen you one more time. I wish I could finally understand what happened. I know they came for Kuu-sensei and you told me to run.. to just keep running... It was all too fast, it was all too soon! I should have just let them take me!!" The once proud Minaya Kaelu was now moved to tears. "I'm not a monster, I swear to you, father!" He wiped his tears away and leaned back in his chair, looking up at the lantern hanging from the ceiling, then over to Atsuke's cabin. He smirked slightly at his horrible pun..

"Looks like you and me are in the same boat, kid.."


	4. The Deceptive Road

Disclaimer: Yeah, still don't own it, though I can't exactly say I'm working on it, cuz I'm not. But, yeah, don't own Naruto, just write "Risen"

By the way, I'd like to thank all of my readers for being so interested in this! I've gotten many reviews (on the site and off) and I'm so glad that I can write something that so many people can enjoy!! - Please, don't stop reading and leave comments for me if you'd like! I love to hear what my viewing community has to say! Again, I thank all of you! Enjoy Chapter four!

..S.P.

* * *

**Risen- A Naruto fanfic  
Chapter Four- The Deceptive Road**

Uzumaki Naruto was in well over his head. This was not the boy we heard yelling and screaming at teachers and officials for hours on end. This was not the Naruto that trained endlessly from dusk until dawn just to prove he's better than everyone. This wasn't even the Uzumaki Naruto that wanted Ichiraku Ramen even if he was only the slightest bit hungry. For some reason, this night, Uzumaki Naruto was a teenage boy bent on teenage experience. And as the sun began its descent over the horizon, giving way to the clear, night sky, this young lad of fifteen decided that he, for once, would let his hormones do the talking.

Something was wrong, though. At least, that's what _he_ felt. His mind was racing in circles, and he just didn't know what to feel. It only took two days to go from wanting to see Sakura-Chan the second he got back, to wanting to spend a night walking beneath the sunset with Hinata. This was all too new and all too confusing for a boy who might've believed if someone said that girls actually _had_ cooties. He never was really the brightest crayon in the box, but this was totally out of the box. This couldn't be love, could it? No way.

Naruto sat out on the rooftop, twiddling his fingers, thinking back into past memories. Him and Sakura had been through a lot together. A lot of teamwork, laughs, tears, memories, and so much more went into their relationship. They were and always continued to be partners, but Naruto usually had desired a little more, even though there were many times which she wasn't in the least interested. He had given Hinata some thought while he was away: he missed her. He enjoyed her company. But Sakura left Naruto with desires, with fantasies, emotion raging in him that he had never felt in his younger days. And all of a sudden, here comes Hyuuga Hinata strutting her stuff and taking away his attention out of the blue? He just wasn't ready for it, and he certainly wasn't ready for his own reactions.

"I stared at her," he said to himself, half not believing his own words. "I checked her out, top to bottom, and I just.." he shook his head. "I must've embarrassed her so much." He stopped, blinked twice, and mumbled "Hinata" to himself. Could someone remind Uzumaki Naruto just why he was thinking about Hinata so much? He _certainly_ wasn't used to this. He had always carried an admiration for her, though it never resulted in this constant daydreaming. It seemed like every moment of his free time today was spent thinking of Hyuuga Hinata: what she might've been feeling about him, why she is so considerate to him, why she doesn't wear more things like that gorgeous outfit (not to mention what she might've looked like without it on, though Naruto would never admit that to anyone).

He pounded his right fist into his other palm. "I have to do something about this, about her. I want to see her tonight, I want to know how she feels, how _I_ feel. My mind is driving me crazy." He paused, making sure that this is, indeed, what he wanted to do. He stood up, saw the sun had just begun to set. "I have to do this now." And without any further delay, he jumped down into the street and hopped, skipped, and jumped his way to the community of the Hyuuga Clan.

Luckily for him, there wasn't really the need for a preparation that might include a conversation with a parent, as young Hinata sat outside reading a book while she still could get some natural sunlight. She didn't even notice Naruto approach her, as she was lost in the pages of "Tears of Gold," the latest feel-good teenage romance novel. Hinata was very intelligent and loved to get herself lost in books. She owned many of the classics passed down from her generations, and she didn't stop there. She seemed to buy a new book practically every week, and she'd spend hours along the lake or under a tree or on her porch just reading away. Naruto was amazed by this. He was never a good reader, and aside from the raunchy material put in front of him by Jiraiya, he hadn't read much of anything else.

He gave her a moment to continue on and finish the page she was on. He interrupted as she licked the tip of her finger and turned the page.

"Pretty interesting, huh?"

She gasped and slammed the book shut, as if she had something to hide. Naruto smiled at her as she looked up at him in surprise. 'What was he doing here??' She asked herself. 'Naruto-kun's never visited me before!'

"Oh, uhm, yeah. Hi, Naruto-kun." With all of the ideas and feelings racing through her mind, those were the only words able to escape. She didn't have the time to even comprehend her own feelings, let alone share them with him.

Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously. "Listen, I wanted to know if you would.. uhm, well that is. I wanted to ask if.." He was almost at the verge of stuttering. He _knew_ he couldn't blow this opportunity, though. Hinata eyes brightened.

'Could this be it..?" she thought. She had waited for this moment for years, and now that it was finally happening, she didn't know what to do. She was being overtaken by sheer happiness, happiness that she once thought was long gone. Naruto was what she needed, and now she knew that for sure, and now she knew that she was about to be given the chance to give what she could in return to him.

"Yes, N-Naruto..?

"Well, the sun is setting and well, I wanted to know if.." he swallowed his fear down and just went with gut feeling, the way he went about everything. "I wanted to know if you'd like to take a walk with me down to the lake." She blushed immensely, but, strangely, she couldn't take her eyes off of him. Her smile widened with each passing second, their gaze deepened.

"You, you want to spend time with me, Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah," Naruto began to blush himself. "Actually, I want to catch the sunset with you."

That was it. Hyuuga Hinata was at the verge of crying. Her wishes, her desires, her dreams were being answered. Sure, it was only a walk to the lake, but she thought this was certainly a start! As happy as she was, her mind now rushed with impatience. 'Will he hold my hand tonight? Maybe he'll kiss me! I've never kissed anyone before, I'm afraid I'll disappoint him, I wonder if he's kissed anybody before..' her thoughts went on and on. After a few seconds, she caught herself in her own daydreaming and was able to respond with the only words that would allow themselves to form at her mouth.

"I'd.. I'd love to." That was all that Naruto needed to hear.

"Alright!" He jumped in place, to Hinata's amusement. He had gotten a date! A _real_ date! Not some walk over to the ramen shop that Sakura would use as an excuse to get Naruto to pay. This was real, and this was with a girl that he knew for certain he was attracted to.

"Shall we, then?" He extended his hand, and this time, without any hesitation, Hinata took it and pulled herself up. She was not going to miss this opportunity. She got to her two feet, held onto the book with her right hand, and Naruto with her left. Such an incredible feeling came over her, and she felt as her she never wanted to let go. Neither did Naruto as he stood there in place with her, doing nothing but looking into her eyes, holding her hand. He was taking this in just as much as she was. The sunset almost didn't matter at this point. He felt warm, he felt calm, and he felt.. happy! Hyuuga Hinata made him happy, and when he realized this, that's when he knew. It was at that precious moment, when he took her hand in his own, that he knew he had a crush on her and now he wanted to make her as happy as he felt, though he had no idea that he had already done far more than that..

Sakura lifted her shirt over her head, folded it, and placed it on the windowsill near her bed. In the midst of the warm summer air, that felt refreshing. She sat down on the edge of her bed and took her knee-length boots off, sliding them under her bed. She wiggled her toes a bit in relief, and got back up, stretching her arms well over her head. Walking over to her vanity chest, she untied the ribbon holding her hair up, and placed that on top of the dresser, letting her pink hair drop down slightly past her chin. She always complained about her hair: how it always wanted to go straight down and how it was such a hassle to spend forty-five minutes every morning getting it to look what she considered "appealing." Regardless, the sun was setting and it didn't matter now: she was getting ready for bed.

"Why do I have to go in and train and study at the crack of dawn? It's not like Tsunade-sama will even be teaching me. She'll probably end up sleeping until noon." She ranted continuously about her training: how she'd spend all morning training and studying right from the books and then Tsunade would join her whenever she woke up (and, hopefully, had her coffee). And then, intense, rigorous training that involved insane exercises and exhausting drills. It was basically a lose-lose situation at this point, but oh, did it help! Sakura's strength had improved greatly, and her skills as a medical ninja had almost reached the level of her teacher. Combined with her broad knowledge, she was certainly a force to reckon, unlike the days of her rookie training.

She kneeled down and opened the top drawer of her dresser and pulled out a pink T-shirt with little white stars strewn across the front. She placed it on top of her dresser and put her hands behind her back, unfastening her bra and throwing it into the corner of the room, which she so nicely dubbed "dirty laundry area." For somebody so organized with her studies, the room was the spitting image of a lackadaisical sixteen-year old pigsty.

Sakura slid her thumbs under the elastic waist-line of her shorts and slid them down, electing to let them drop rather then stepping out of them. She got one leg out while using the other to kick them into that far corner of her room. Practically exposing herself, she turned to the standing mirror in the opposite corner of the room and put her hands to her hips, making a slight pose for herself. She had grown up in more ways than just becoming stronger, though she preferred to not flaunt herself to other people. She had developed a great deal of respect for herself: both with her body and her attitude. This had changed dramatically over the past two years.

She giggled to herself and put her index finger to her lip. "One day, Sakura, you're going to make a boy proud to have you." She cocked her hip out and made the most innocent-eyed look she could make. She wasn't ashamed to be full of herself in the comfort of her own room, and she laughed to herself after her little tease show. Throwing the T-shirt over her, she jumped into bed and wrapped herself up under her blankets. This was the time of the evening when she would stare up at the ceiling and collect/organize her thoughts. Occasionally she would sit up and lean against her window, which was positioned over her bedside (though it was closed now, lest half of Konoha got a free peep show). For tonight, the ceiling would suffice.

Haruno Sakura had many things floating about her mind; one of these things being, of course, Uchiha Sasuke, but this time was different. Usually, every night before falling asleep, she would say a quick prayer for Sasuke and give her "I miss you," or "I hope you're okay" or something of that sort. Tonight wasn't the night for that. She had been slowly weaning herself away from the unhealthy obsession she used to have over him as a preteen, and her talk with Kakashi-sensei yesterday made her realize that this was the time. She had to let go and stop with these daily rituals. Sakura always wanted to keep that last hope in her mind that he would return, like a knight in shining armor, and that she would win his love and the two would live happily ever after. Kakashi's honestly seemed to have shone some light on the situation. Some harsh reality.

"He's not going to be the same," she confessed to herself. "All these days.. all this time I've wasted waiting for him. God, I know I'm better than this." And then it hit her. "I am.. I am better than this. I just need to believe in myself. I need to.. I need to get out! Meet new people, see new places, and actually enjoy it! I need a couple of days to myself and just.. do what I need to do!"

She rolled over in a puff and decided that after this week, she was taking a few days off. To hell with Tsunade at this point, Sakura knew what she needed to do; she had to get her life together and become the independent young lady she knew she could be. She was just about ready to nod off to sleep when a voice from downstairs bellowed up.

"Don't forget to clean your room in the morning! That laundry won't wash itself!"

"I _know_, mom!! Good.. Night!!"

As they approached the hillside, the sun already halfway down the horizon, the butterflies were still fluttering about Hinata's stomach. The cool evening air had began to take over the atmosphere, but she was never any warmer than now. She held Naruto's hand gently as he led her down the side of the hill to the edge of the lake, where the water was calm and crystal clear. In the distance, the base of a waterfall, where Naruto used to train, and in the other direction, a branch of small brooks and streams. Many of these led to the different villages for their own necessities towards the people. The biggest stream, in the middle of them all, flowed gently into a river in the west, making it's way south to the ocean miles and miles away. This particular stream seemed to follow the sun as it made its departure.

Around them, there was nothing except for green grass, trees, and the dirt path behind them, which also led to the left, where the waterfall was. By the waterfall, a small bench and a pile of boulders along the cliffside leading up to the top of the waterfall, a good thirty feet above the base. At the top, another grassy field with more trees and flower beds, though not visible to anybody below. But the park bench was of no use to the two adolescents. All they needed was the lake, the grass, and the sunset.

"Oh, Naruto, it's lovely," she exclaimed in her quiet voice. Her eyes wandered around her setting. She had been here so many times before but she rarely ever took time to appreciate it. And who couldn't on such a special occasion?

"I love this place," he explained. "I used to come here when I was younger and just stare up at the sky, look up at the stars." She looked up at the sky, but no stars were really visible just yet. She looked back down at Naruto. "It's so relaxing here, the sound of the waterfall, the fresh mountain air, I could live here," he boasted. She smiled at him and let go of his hand momentarily. She took off her sandals and tiptoed to the edge of the lake, squatted down and traced the surface with her fingertip.

"I love the water," Hinata said. "I've always loved to go swimming, even as a kid. My father would take me out here with my sister when I was really little. Him and mom would always picnic right here," she pointed where Naruto stood. "I would swim for hours."

"Sounds like you had a great childhood, Hinata. Especially here."

"Oh, not all the time," she laughed. "I would get in so much trouble because I would swim so close to the waterfall. My father was worried I'd get trapped underneath. Obviously I didn't, as you can see." He nodded with a smile. "Recently, actually, I came for a swim and dove right underneath the waterfall."

"Oh my God," he gasped. "Were you alright?"

She tilted her head and smiled warmly. "Yeah, I was fine. I wasn't even scared or anything! Hey.." he looked into her eyes. "Watch this." She squinted her eyes slightly and smiled with a devilish smirk. Without any hesitation, she took a step out onto the lake and walked a couple steps out, perfectly balanced, along the surface of the water.

"Wow!, You know how to do that too, great job, Hinata!" Naruto yelled out to her, even though she was only a few feet away, still. Hinata shook her head and giggled.

"That's not what I was going to show you, silly, just wait and see." She turned back towards the waterfall and ran towards it. Naruto almost started to run down the path to the cliff side, in case she needed help, but his focused was more on what she left behind. Each time she lifted her foot, the water rose an inch or two from underneath her in little miniture spouts, almost as if to push her on along the surface. As she neared the waterfall, the splashing at the bottom seemed to veer to the left and the right of her, and the droplets seem to curve back onto track around her and into the lake, not getting the path nor the bench wet.

"How is she doing this?" he questioned. He was absolutely amazed, but the best was yet to come. She threw her arms up in the air, over her head, and Naruto began to see the chakra form and outline her body. The sun was almost totally over the horizon, and Hinata's body was now lighting up the lakeside in a beautiful shade of blue.

Arms over her head, she looked back at Naruto, and closed her eyes with a big smile. 'Maybe now,' she said to herself, 'you'll know it was me.' She looked forward again and walked very carefully into the waterfall. The water hit her furiously, but she never flinched. He kept going until she was ungulfed by it, completely out of sight to Naruo.

"Oh no, Hinata!!" Now he was worried. He raced out, onto the water, charging at the waterfall. He got about halfway there when he came to a sudden stop..

.. and saw something amazing.

A dry Hinata turned and stepped out from underneath the waterfall with her head down as the waterfall seemed to part a good foot or two over her head and a couple around her body, getting none of her body wet. But the amazing display was the not the waterwall descending around her, but, rather, the swirling aura of chakra and water dancing around her body. The waterfall seemed to glisten behind her as she took another step out towards Naruto. His jaw dropped. She pivoted on her toe and spun around, throwing her right arm well over her head, touching the swirling water with the tip of her finger, and resting her left hand at the back of her neck. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, running her hand through her own hair.

'This is..' Naruto didn't have any words that seemed appropriate to finish the sentence. Hot? Amazing? No, not good enough.

She opened her eyes to see Naruto mouth the word "beautiful." Her eyes lit up as she motioned down to the water with her right hand. Naruto's eyes followed her hand, like watching a magician's every move. 'This was magical,' he thought to himself.

Hinata raised her right hand, slowly, and from underneath it, a spout of water rose up, swirling about as elegantly as her movements. She smiled at the beauty of her work and, finger by finger, closed her fist. The spout dropped back into the lake with a sudden splash. This was unbelievable.

Naruto gasped, "Where have I seen this before.." It didn't hit him, he couldn't quite remember Hinata ever doing this. But then, why was it so damn familiar?? Hinata looked back at him with her eyes, wide open, her smile as innocent as ever.

'I can't take this,' Naruto's hormones raged. 'She's just so.. so beautiful, so graceful!' He knew what he wanted. Uzumaki Naruto wanted her hand, her smile, her lips. He had never kissed anyone before, and despite his many sly opportunities with Sakura in the past, he wasn't about to let this chance slip away. He stepped towards her, reaching out his hand to her. She gasped to herself slightly.

'Is this.. is this going to be it..?' She reached out very slowly towards him with her hand.

Naruto's mind now completely focused on getting that first kiss, which, considering he was walking along the surface of the lake, was a bad, bad idea. His next step plunged him into the now dark lake as the last of the sun had finally finished setting down the river and over the horizon. The night sky was welcomed with an abrupt scream and a loud splash.

"Naruto!!" She yelled out to him, letting the water surrounding her drop back into the lake. She ran out along the surface to where he fell in and she peered into the water. Now that her chakra show was over, she couldn't see anything underneath. "Naruto, do you hear me? Naruto!!" Her eyes shifted around, desperately searching for the boy of her dreams when suddenly she felt a cold, wet hand grab her ankle from behind. She froze. The voice was calm and so very familiar to her.

"Hello, Hinata." She gasped and snapped her head back, but that was all she had to time do, and down she went.

The next five minutes consisted of yelling and splashing and it's-your-faults before they finally made their way back to the lakeside. Naruto let himself fall onto his back, wet, in the grass. Hinata sat herself down Indian-style next to him. Both of them were cold, soaked, but content, and the night was still very young. Hinata leaned back on her hand and turned to look at Naruto, and he smiled his big goofy smile in her direction. A breeze came down and swept across the lake. Hinata gasped and quickly crossed her arms over her chest. Naruto looked at her with a slight bit of confusion. She giggled—it was kinda cute how he didn't quite know what she was doing. It was bad enough the breeze caught her off guard, but she was alone with Naruto, soaking wet, along a gorgeous lake on a night where she expected to get her first kiss. Concealing certain anomalies might prove difficult, if not impossible.

"Naruto-kun?"

Naruto sat up and looked at her, "What is it, Hinata?"

"Uhm, well.." she fumbled with her words and resorted with twiddling her fingers in front of her again. "I had a lot of fun tonight, Naruto-kun, and I'm.. I'm just really glad I got to spend this night with you." He scooted over to sit next to her.

"I'm glad I got to see you, too, Hinata." They smiled at each other and she felt herself slowly lean her head on his shoulder. He didn't know what to do, he found himself just gazing at her for a few moments before wrapping his arm around her. She seemed to bury her head deeper into his arm, nuzzling his shoulder. He thought this was just absolutely adorable. He had no idea someone like her would be so.. so affectionate! He thought to himself, 'This is my chance. I can't back down now.'

"Hinata.."

Her eyes moved up to his. He didn't say a word as he reached over with his left hand and gently touched her chin. She was turning red, really red. Her mouth slowly began to gape and her breathing became heavy. This was what she had been waiting for! She felt his hand slowly tilt her chin up, and she began to tremble softly in his arms. She wasn't going to back down, not when she was this close. She licked her lips nervously, breathing heavily through her nose Another gust of wind soared across the lake, blowing their hair back in the breeze, leaves dancing around them. This was the perfect setting. This is everything Naruto had planned for, and everything Hinata had imagined. She felt him inching in closer and closer and she closed her eyes and parted her lips once again, her jaw trembling ever so much. And then, something in her next breath didn't settle. Her head flew forward as the summer wind got the best of her wet, cold body and she began to cough. He put a hand to her back gently.

"Hinata! Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes I'm fine." She sounded disappointed. Why now, why did it have to happen now?? She was so close! She coughed again and felt her entire body start to shiver.

"Oh dear, I better get you home. You're going to get sick," Naruto suggested. You could hear the disappointment in his voice as well. He wanted this moment so badly. It would just have to wait. He took his jacket off and put it around Hinata. Though it was drenched on the outside, it was still warm on the inside, and not nearly as damp. Hinata blushed at his offer and thanked him as he wrapped it around her.

"You're so sweet, Naruto-kun," she said softly. He smiled in response.

"I could same the same about you." He brushed his hand down her cheek lightly and she gazed into his smiles, he chuckled and winked at her. "Believe it."

She laughed. What a night this was! She took his hand as they got up and walked down the path back home, their eyes on each other and the collage of stars above them. Hyuuga Hinata, with all of the things going on in her life, couldn't ask for a better first date to have..

"Hinata, are you okay? You're coughing again.."

Well, maybe that kiss would've been nice…

It echoed off the page into his mind, and it had stayed there all night and even now, at sunrise the next morning. He regretted ever opening that pamphlet a second time, he regretted reading on. His stare was blank, cold, and empty. Atsuke knew something was wrong, but was too scared to ask. They were finally ashore, this was no time to get on his nerves.

He could still close his eyes and see the page clearly, as if he was still sitting at the desk reading..

_April 21st, 2026. Hidetsukaa Igokuu was murdered just outside his cottage in the Kyoko mountains. His pupil, Minaya Oroyo escaped with his wife and newborn child, but his oldest son, Minaya Kaelu, was not found. A search for Kaelu will be conducted during the next few days, though official intent after finding the child is unknown, though the medical research department wishes to have the child exterminated.._

"Exterminated.." he echoed to himself at the railing of the deck. The ship had just pulled ashore.

Atsuke looked at him concernedly. "Did you say something, Kaelu-san?"

Kaelu looked at him and forced a smile out to his young apprentice. "Don't worry about it, buddy. I'm fine." The smile quickly faded as he looked out past the beach to the forest in the north, where Konoha was, where they would soon be.

"Sir Kaelu!" Minaya looked down to the sand, where the ship captain stood at the edge of the beach by the boat. "Will ya' be needing anything else, my boy?"

"Tsuukan!" He answered. "No, I'll be fine, thank you." He turned to Atsuke. "Let's go, boy." Atsuke nodded as they each grabbed their backpacks and jumped down to the sand, Kaelu sticking the landing, while Atsuke hit the ground on one knee before falling forward and face-planting into the sand.

"I'll be back in exactly one week, Tsuukan. Take care of the boat for me." He laughed. "I'd rather not get on Takeno's bad side." Tsuukan nodded and agreed.

"Good luck, my boy. I'll hope to see you with some findings next week." He nodded, turned towards the forest and took a deep breath.

"This is it." His mind flashed back through all of the readings, even though there were still some he hadn't read yet. "This mission is my destiny. If I can find answers, if I can find this.. this being. Maybe," he looked up to the sky. "Maybe, father.. I can finally go home." He turned back to Atsuke, who stood up, still brushing sand off of himself. "Come on, buddy." He looked forward again. "Let's fulfill our destiny." With that, he took off into the treetops at top speed and raced toward Konoha Village.

Young Atsuke looked back towards the old captain. "We'll see you soon." Tsuukan nodded and Atsuke was off, on his way to catch up to his new mentor and friend.

Tsuukan stood by the boat, unmoving and watched the two ninja disappear into the woods. "Minaya Kaelu, I hope to the Fates that you find your answers." He walked back to the boat and climbed up to the deck. Before setting sail once again, he took another quick look towards the forest.

"..For your sake.."

Her eyes fluttered open upon hearing the local birds chattering outside her window. She sat up in bed and stretched her body out. 'What a good night's sleep,' she thought, and it was! No nightmares, no burning from her scar, nothing to haunt her! Nothing could haunt her at this point.

She smiled, recalling the end of her date last night. Naruto walked her home, wished her well, and asked her if she'd like to do it again some time. She remembered him shyly going about asking her, and thinking about it again only made her want to see him more.

_"It sounds lovely, Naruto. I'll let you know."_

But she knew the answer before she even turned to walk away from him last night, and she couldn't wait to tell him when she saw him later today. She got up from bed and yawned and stretched yet again. This time, however, a cough slipped out. She frowned, 'Maybe this is the price I pay for having such a good night..'

She grabbed a towel from her dresser along with a change of clothes. She figured she'd dress up nice today.. for him. "A nice long bath will be just what I need to soothe this cough," she said to herself. She walked out of her bedroom and down the hall towards the road leading to the bath hall, and she daydreamed the rest of the day to herself. Maybe today would be the day she'd get her kiss.

Seeing him would be the easy part. Getting the kiss would probably be the hard part..

And as she walked by her father's chambers, she heard a voice boom.

"Hinata! Where were you last night?!"

And this was, by far, going to be the worst part..


	5. A Cause for Alarm

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or anything having to do with Naruto, other than this fanfic. This fanfic is mine… Oh! And these trading cards… and this game… P

Anyway, again, thanks to all the people who read this story and give me a reading to push on as quickly as I have. I really hope you're enjoying this as much as I am! We're almost up to what I consider the really juicy part, so just hang in there, read on, review, comment, etc, and just… enjoy!

--S.P.

* * *

**A Cause For Alarm**

They didn't even stare at the gate from head-on. They looked at an angle from the safety of the shade of the trees lining the road, but the entrance to Konoha village was breathtaking nonetheless. Atsuke's jaw dropped in awe, even though this wasn't the first time he had been to the village hidden in the leaves. Never did he think he'd actually return.

"Hey, Atsuke." Kaelu turned to his partner.

"Hm?" his apprentice looked at him wondrously.

"Back on the boat.. You said that a friend's grandfather lived in Konoha, but then you said that one of his sons was your father. Why did.." Kaelu wasn't sure how to ask the question without seeming rude or pushy. Atsuke answered for him.

"I don't consider these people my family." He dropped is head low. "I live with Dr. Shiro now, I have for the past three years, since Father died."

Kaelu looked Atsuke straight in the eyes, "You live with Kagetsu??"

Atsuke nodded. "Yes, you see.. I ran away from home the night my father died. Dr. Shiro was on his way home from a trip when he found me walking down the road. He offered me a ride into the city, and I accepted. Once I was there, I still realized I had nowhere to go, and he said he'd take me in until I found a living in Kyoko?

"Well, what happened?"

"I worked as an assistant to Shiro-san on his expeditions and as a messenger around the city. He's not in the best shape, if you remember. I was his legs for things that had to be done locally." Atsuke continued, "but I'm paid well, and he provides me with a home and food, and I couldn't ask for more. I'm forever grateful to him, weird as he may be."

Kaelu grew more concerned. "But what about your mother..?"

"Well, when I got to Kyoko, I wrote home to my mother, and she would every so often write back, but in the first letter, she said that if I returned home, they'd kill me, too.."

"Who's they?"

"I don't know, all I know is that I can't go home. But.." he eyes began to water. "Mother stopped writing to me a few months ago. I'm wondering if she abandoned me like grandpa did. I still see cousin Todei when he visits Kyoko, but we're not as close as we were as kids. That's why I consider him only as a friend."

"That doesn't bother you?"

"No!" Atsuke smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "I've managed. I mean, I still miss my mother, and I wish I could see her again, but I have a bigger aspiration!"

Kaelu's kneeled down so he could see into his partner's eyes, "and what would that be?"

Atsuke smiled. "To find my big brother."

"You've never met him?"

"No, I haven't. Father said he left when I was just a baby. He said he was killed at a young age in the crossfire of an S-ranked mission." Kaelu dropped his head as well, about to offer an explanation for life and it's troubles when Atsuke kept going. "But I don't believe that. I think big brother's alive, and I think he'd come here, to Konoha, to see grandpa again. To help bring our family back together!"

Kaelu smiled again, "I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to look for him while we're here." Atsuke's eyes brightened and he smiled warmly. "Maybe he can give us some answers on the mission while we're at it," he joked.

"The family name is Gasuki. I don't know his first name, though. I don't know anything about him other than what I just told you. Father never spoke of him, ever."

Kaelu pat Atsuke on the back. "Well, this looks like a village where everybody knows everybody. I'm sure if we ask around for 'Gasuki,' someone will have heard of a person with that name."

"Yeah! I'm sure of it!" He began to jump up and down. "I'm so excited, I have my own little mission on this journey, haha! But wait," he paused. "How will you get in? I mean, the guards will know me if I give them my name and tell them my grandfather lives here. What about you?"

Kaelu stood up and clasped his hands together. "Oh, I have my tricks, buddy. Believe me." He closed his eyes and focused his chakra, and soon the air around him began to swirl and a silver glow of chakra soon surrounded him. His black hair began to blow around in the breeze he was creating. Atsuke took a step back, amazed by this sight. Kaelu was glowing! He rubbed his eyes and looked even to make sure he wasn't dreaming it.

"Henge no Jutsu!" And in the split second of that shout, the silver chakra engulfed him and then disappeared in a flash. Atsuke, who had covered his eyes because of the flash, were focusing once again on his partner and he had to double take to make sure he was seeing correctly.

".. Kaelu-san??"

Kaelu had laughed softly to himself. The transformation jutsu was a success. In front of young Atsuke stood a boy roughly an inch or so taller than Kaelu, with shorter, light brown hair instead of black. His black wardrobe gone, he wore a navy blue, sleeveless shirt and khakis tucked into black, military boots.

He looked over to Atsuke and smirked. "Yeah, it's me."

Atsuke scoffed, "Well, I knew _that! _I just can't believe that.. wow, I mean.. it's a whole new you!! Can you really stay like that the entire time we're here?"

Kaelu scrutinized his own hands, arms, and legs, inspecting his body to make sure there were no problems. "Trust me, boy," he looked up at Atsuke. "You couldn't even begin to fathom the amount of chakra I can cycle through my body in a day. A mere transformation jutsu like this is insignificant in comparison to the power I can achieve." Atsuke took a step back fearfully. Was he really as powerful as he said he said? In a way, he was afraid he'd find out, whether at him or somebody else.

"Maybe dressed like this, I can pass off as your older brother," Kaelu laughed, and Atsuke approved. "Now I need a name for myself.." He pondered for a moment. 'Father,' he thought to himself. 'I'll make you proud..'

He turned to his apprentice. "How about Gasuki. Oroyo?" Atsuke began to laugh. "Hey, what's so funny?"

Atsuke controlled himself and walked over to Kaelu, giving him a slight nudge. "Because," he giggled again. "That's my father's name!"

Kaelu put his hands to Atsuke's shoulders, "Oh, I'm sorry, my boy, I didn't me-" then he stopped. "Hey, Atsuke?"

"What is it, Ka-san?"

Kaelu tried to piece together his thoughts. Why did Gasuki sound so familiar? Was it a teacher, a family friend, an old team member? Something about that name just didn't strike him right. "Never mind, kiddo." He rustled his hand through Atsuke's hair, and his partner cringed and then tried to fight back by pulling his hand away.

"Ka-saaan! Stop it" He pulled away and tried to quickly fix his hair. Kaelu laughed softly. "It's not funny!" His elder smiled warmly and took him by the shoulder as they stepped toward the entrance of the great village.

"C'mon, buddy." Kaelu's eyes focused now on the entrance, his smile faded, his attention now aimed at what might possibly be the rest of his life. "Let's go."

As they passed the enormous threshold, they were greeted by a blast of sunshine from the east, over the right gate. It was still very early in the morning and the temperature to them was already pretty brutal. The dry, summer air was beating down on the village, but as Kaelu looked around, it seemed as though none of the actual villagers even noticed. Atsuke pointed to the guard booth at the entrance of Konoha.

"That's where we have to report," and he ran over to the booth. Two guards sat in the shade of the wooden kiosk, appearing rather bored. "Hello," he began. "I don't know if you remember me, I'm Gasuki Atsuke. My grandfather lives here in Konoha."

The guard eyed the boy up and down carefully, "Gasuki, huh? You're old man Aidon's grandkid, eh?" Atsuke nodded. "Old man hasn't had a visitor in some time."

"He hasn't..?" Atsuke frowned.

"Nah, boy. He'll be happy to see you though. He's been keeping busy with his work and I think some time off with you will make him really glad." The other guard looked up at Atsuke and smiled with bright eyes.

"Suke, you've grown! How are you, my boy?" The young lad knew that voice from the last time he visited.

"I'm doing great, sir, how about yourself?"

"Oh.. working, you could say." They shared a laugh, then the guard signed off Atsuke's arrival and the first guard signed it as well. "And who's that guy over there?" He pointed with his pen in the direction of Kaelu. "He with you?"

"Yes, sir. That's Oroyo, my brother." Atsuke tried to hurry this along.

"Alright, well," the guard was having an off day and appeared to not want to go through too much trouble this morning. He was already hearing screaming from the Hokage's office, and he figured getting in the line of crossfire wasn't the best idea.

"Well, eventually I'm going to need to report you over to Tsunade-sama, the village's Hokage. Right now, she's.. occupied with another activity, so you may feel free to go over there on your own and introduce yourselves. If not, though, I'm going to have to take you there when the morning report is due at noon." Atsuke nodded.

"That's fine, we'll head on over now." He grabbed his 'brother's' arm and took the slip from the guards.

"This is proof that we accepted you into Konoha, so, please, don't lose it."

Kaelu took his slip and nodded, "We won't. Thank you." He took Atsuke and walked down the main road of the villages.

The second guard turned and looked to the first, "Don't worry. I remember Atsuke when he was here a couple of years back. A really good kid, he is. Wouldn't harm a fly." He offered a smile. "They'll be fine."

The first guard looked away and watched the two foreigners walk off in the distance "I hope you're right, man. I'd rather not have to deal with Tsunade's crap right now..

* * *

"YOU WANT WHAT?!?!" Her fists pounded heavily into her desk, leaving two, inch-deep craters in her wooden workstation. "Are you out of your damned mind?!?!" 

The stubborn pink-haired teenager stood tall, not being intimidated, her arms crossed, her glare unmoving. "I want a vacation, sensei! This training is ridiculous!!"

"This training is what will make you stronger than you can possibly imagine!! Isn't that what you wanted?" Tsunade stood up and looked directly into her pupil's eyes.

"Sensei, it is, but.." Sakura wavered in her voice slightly. "It's the first full week of summer, Tsunade-sama, and I've been dying for a vacation. Please, just listen, sensei. I'm having a hard time focusing on my training. I've got so many thoughts running through my head, it's just impossible to clear them all." Tsunade put her hands to her hips and looked down at the floor away from Sakura. She understood clearly—she had been in her position many, many times.

"Please, I'm asking you as a teacher, as a friend.." Sakura's eyes brightened as her folded her hands together right under her chin. "Please, just.. let me take a couple of days off for myself. So that I can get myself back on track with my studies."

Tsunade nodded. "I understand, dearie. I know what it's like to be so stressed out, even though I don't like to admit it." She stepped out from behind her desk and walked over to a window, peering out. "I've been in more trouble than you'd probably care to even imagine, and here I am, protecting an entire village as the Fifth Hokage, following in the footsteps of four.." it pained her to say it, "..men.. who honored this village and did their work with pride." She walked over to Sakura and rested both of her arms on the girl's shoulders. "I know how hard it is," Sakura nodded, not sure what to say. "But!" She walked back to the window and Sakura's eyes shot up.

"I need you to take care of a mission for me!"

Sakura glared at her teacher. _Not another one!_ "But sensei!! You just sai-"

"I _know_ what I just said!!" Tsunade interrupted. "It's a C-rank mission, and it should only take a day or so to complete. I want Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Naruto to accompany you!" Sakura's eyes widened. Was she serious? Kakashi-sensei and Naruto?

"When you return, successful from your mission," the teacher turned to her student with the biggest grin. "I'll give you a week off from your studies."

Sakura nearly jumped for joy. "A week?! Thank you Tsunade-sama" She ran up to her teacher and gave her a big hug.

"Hey, hey!! Enough of that!" She pried Sakura off of her. "Well then, fetch Kakashi and Naruto here, and I'll explain to you three the mission. I would like you to leave this afternoon, so that you may able to get back first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yes, ma'am!" Sakura was thrilled. A week's vacation, and all she had to do was some lame C-ranked mission with two of her friends? It didn't get much better than this! This would be exactly what she needed! She thanked Tsunade again and ran out of the room, hoping to find her friends as fast as possible.

Tsunade watched her leave, seeing the excitement on her face. She smiled, "You've done well, Sakura. You've surpassed even _my_ expectations." She walked back over to her desk and sat back down, looking at all of the piling paperwork. She sighed, then looked down at the surface of her table, where two divots sat where she had slammed the desk earlier. She smirked, grabbed her Sake bottle from underneath the table, and rested it in one of the craters, using it as a cup holder. She laughed to herself, picked up the bottle and held it up, 'Tsunade, my girl, you've still got it.'

"Cheers!"

* * *

Hyuuga Hinata had dodged a bullet. It's bad enough she has a hard time lying to her father as it is! Now she has to cover herself for going out on dates late at night. Heaven forbid her father finds out she was out on a date with "dropout" Uzumaki Naruto! The 'I was reading at the library' excuse won't save her everytime, and she knew it. Maybe her father would be okay with her seeing Naruto-kun.. 

.. and maybe she was going crazy to even think that.

Regardless, the warm bath was soothing for her, not only because she got away with her first date scot-free, but now she could look forward to seeing her crush later in the day. Plus, Hinata just naturally liked warmth, especially hot baths! Unlike her younger sister who always seemed to be in a hurry of everything, Hinata could spend hours in the bath, just daydreaming, reading, or thinking to herself. She considered it one of her getaways. She wouldn't be spending all too long in there this morning, though. Hinata knew that Naruto had a habit of sleeping until noon, and she was hoping she could surprise him at his door for when he woke up. This gave her about thirty more minutes in the bath, then another thirty or so to get ready and then the five minute walk to get to his house for noon.

'I wonder if he'll be happy to see me,' she thought. 'I hope he's not sick of me, I mean, I _have _seen him for the last two days already..' She closed her eyes and began to daydream of the previous night, and she sighed his name to herself, she threw her arms up and let herself fall back into the water, as if the warmth was him catching her. When she surfaced, she shook the water from her hair and then threw her head back, her hair splashing behind her. She crossed her arms in front of her, pretending to hug him tightly. She kept her eyes closed and rested her head on her own shoulder. "I love you, Naruto-kun, I really l-" and she paused when she opened her eyes to see her younger sister, Hanabi, staring blankly at her. Hinata felt the blush, once again, rise to her cheeks. Her sister eyed her up and down, saw how she was acting, and just sighed to herself and shook her head.

Hanabi, who was only ten years old, was by no means stupid. She could put two and two together about many things, especially romance and teenagers, certainly considering she lived with one. "So.. What happened between you and Naruto that we don't know about?"

"Nothing, nothing!!" Hinata waved her hands in a desperate attempt to make her sibling stop asking questions.

"Don't take me for an idiot, Ate. What do you expect from that boy, anyway?"

Hinata twiddled her fingers, blushing deeply. "Well, nothing I mean.." she stood up, walking out of the pool over to her towel. "I'm not going to lie about my feelings for him, I'm a young woman now, I can be honest with myself."

"Uh-huh, yeah, right." She obviously wasn't buying it.

Hinata nodded. "I would just like to.. be with him. When you're a little older, you'll understand how it feels, trust me." She covered herself in her towel and walked into the changing room. Her sister just watched her quietly and shook her head. Finally, when Hinata was out of sight, she muttered.

"Don't expect anything, huh?" Hanabi sighed, then waded her foot gently through the hot water. She laughed to herself, then yelled out to her already embarrassed older sister, "The water wasn't THAT cold, was it??"

"HANABI!!!"

* * *

Sakura didn't know what hit her. One moment she's flying down the stairs of the Central building, the next minute, she's bolting through the open door and crashing full-speed into a total stranger. She sat there, confused for a moment, then brushed off herself without even looking up at the victim of her hi-speed collision. 

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, I didn't look where I was going! I'm so sorry, mister, I won't do it again, I-" she paused. A hand was placed gently on her shoulder, and she looked up to see who it was. Looking down at her was a boy of about fifteen or sixteen, with short brown hair and a really nice build. He smiled warmly at her, his hazel eyes seemed to glow.

He helped her to her feet, "Are you okay, m'lady?" He asked in the most polite fashion he knew. It worked.

"I.. I.. I.." She began to blush. "I'm fine. Th-thanks." Sakura straightened herself out, brushing herself off again and fixing her outfit. "I've never seen you around here before." She examined him carefully. "You're a visitor here, aren't you??"

He bowed, "yes. The name is Oroyo. Gasuki Oroyo. And yours is…?"

"Haruno Sakura," she replied, and held out her hand, expecting a handshake. Instead, he took her hand, leaned forward and kissed it. Her eyes followed him the entire time, and when he stood upright again she couldn't help but look away, blushing furiously. This couldn't have been happening, what timing!! 'What a knockout!' she exclaimed to herself. 'And such a gentleman. He's nothing like some of the... _boys_ around here.' She looked a few feet behind Oroyo, and a smaller boy stood silently, watching this introduction unfold. She didn't really care to ask who he was. She was more interested in the hunk in front of her right now.

"Well, Sakura," she eyed him once more. "Where were you in such a hurry to?"

"Well, I'm being assigned a mission, and I need to find my two comrades will will be accompanying me on this journey."

"I see," he picked up a pink button from behind her. It must've fallen off from _somewhere_. "Why are you in such a hurry? The day is young."

"Incentive," she laughed. "Sensei said I can start my week's vacation when the mission is finished." She began to bounce again in excitement all over again, just by mentioning the vacation to herself.

"Sounds enjoyable, then." Kaelu looked around and saw there was nobody else around other than Atsuke. "Say, Sakura.. Well, because I'm new in town, I'd like to get familiar with the area. Would you mind giving me a quick tour?" Her jaw dropped slightly. "That is, if it's not out of the way of what you were going to do."

She snapped back immediately, "it's no problem!! Really!" Now she was just completely lying to herself for the sole sake of getting a walk around town with the cute stranger. 'I cant take care of myself,' she reminded herself. 'this _is_ what I had wanted, anyway... wasn't it?'

Kaelu smiled and nodded gratefully. "That's wonderful, thank you so much! May-maybe while we're at it, we can grab some lunch somewhere, too! I'm sure you know of a place with great food, right?"

"Of course I do! C'mon, let's hurry!" without any second thoughts, she grabbed his hand and basically dragged him out down the block.

As Kaelu was being pulled he gave a quick handoff of the village passes to Atsuke. "Bring these up to the Hokage. Then feel free to walk around the village or whatever. I'll meet up with you tonight."

Atsuke looked at the passes then back to his master. "But, Ka-san?"

"It's our first day here. Just relax and have a good time, okay? I'll be fine."

Atsuke just stared blankly as this pink-haired girl basically dragged Kaelu-san down the streets of town. He sighed, "if you say so," then continued into the building and to the Hokage's office.

Sakura had taken Oroyo around most of Konoha in a matter of minutes. At least, to the important places. She showed him the academy, and even a couple of the classrooms inside, the library, the outdoor market strip, and downtown where all of the clothing and accessories were sold. This is where Sakura has done most of her shopping, but today she was content with simply walking through. She had sotpped once to check out a pair of Onyx stone earrings at her favorite jewelry stand, but after inspecting the price she felt it was best to keep walking.

"And this is Ichiraku Ramen, one of my favorite places in Konoha to eat! The food here is excellent!"

Oroyo saw the quaint little ramen shop, and he imposed, "shall we, then? My treat."

Sakura shook her head, "No, no, I'll pay, you're the guest, it's only right if—" Oroyo put a finger to her lips.

"Shhhh.. it's no big deal. It's my way of saying thank you." She blushed and smiled warmly.

"Oh, well.. thank you, then." She giggled. Was this a date? It couldn't be, she had only run into him an hour ago! Maybe it was, she couldn't tell. 'The only dates I've ever gotten were with Naruto,' she riled to herself. 'But this guy,' she looked at him again, even though his eyes were focused inside the ramen shop. 'This guy knows how to treat a lady!'

They stepped into the ramen shop and old man Teuchi was there, as always, cooking away for his soon-to-be satisfied customer, Umino Iruka. Sipping away happily at his tea, he didn't notice the two teens walk in behind him until he heard his old student's voice.

"Hey, Iruka-sensei! How's things?" He turned around and held his hands out.

"Sakura! It's good to see you!" He laughed, "Tsunade worn you down yet? Hahah!" He cleared his throat. "Well I'm glad to see you're surviving the training. I'm proud of you, Sakura. I hear you've done some mighty fine work!" She smiled timidly, embarrassed by the compliments. Iruka turned to the stranger next to her. "And who is this gentleman? A friend of yours?"

Sakura went to introduce him, but Oroyo stepped forward and extended his hand, "Gasuki Oroyo, sir. It's a pleasure."

Iruka shook his hand firmly. "Gasuki, huh? Are you related to old man Aidon?"

"He's actually my grandfather. I'm here to visit him for a few days."

"You don't say? I know Aidon very well." Oroyo smiled politely. He really wasn't in the mood for getting too in-depth about Atsuke's grandfather. "He's a good man, he always has been. _Always_ willing to help out a friend in need." Iruka sipped his tea once more. "He's been sick lately, though.

"Sick..?" The word hit Kaelu hard, and his stomach began to twist and turn. His smile quickly vanished.

Iruka nodded. "Yeah. He's been fightin' something for quite some time. I'm not exactly sure what it is, he hasn't told me." He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the counter. "It's just like a guy like him to not want help. He always tells me he's doing fine, that he's as healthy as anything, but you can just tell.." Iruka lowered his head. Kaelu dropped his as well, and Sakura stayed quiet, not wanting to butt in.

He continued, "Aidon has always thought of others before himself, and he'll be that way until the day he leaves us. It's just his way." He offered a smile to Oroyo. "He'll be so happy to see you, maybe this is just the thing he needed!"

Oroyo returned the smile, "Maybe you're right. Maybe all he needs is.." he paused, and the moment hit him like a ton of bricks. His heart became dark and heavy, "..some family." He remained silent for a moment before Sakura interluded.

"Well, now that we're here, let's enjoy some lunch, shall we?"

Oroyo turned to her and offered the best smile he could, "yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea." He sat down and rested his elbows on the counter, and buried his head into his clasped hands. 'Father,' his own voice echoed in his mind.

* * *

"How late can he sleep?" That's all she could ask herself. Her patience began to wear thin as she paced about in front of his home, humming softly to herself. She often gazed up at his window and smiled. She remembered his words.. 

_"You're so sweet, Naruto-kun.."_

_"I could say the same about you.. believe it."_

Uzumaki Naruto had meant the world to her. He had done more for her than anyone else could possibly imagine, and she felt she could never repay him. "Uzumaki Naruto," she said to herself in a whisper. "You saved me. You really did, and I could never thank you enough. You've shown me the way, and given me a reason to go on. I just.." she looked up to his window again, wishing he could hear these words. "I want to hold you in my arms. I want to be held by you and feel your warmth. I remember the first time you held me like that, and I never forgot the feeling. You made me so happy, Naruto-kun, and you still do!" She couldn't contain herself, and she spoke out to the rafters. "I want to kiss you, dear Naruto! I want to tell you how much I love you!"

She stopped, and listened to her surroundings: the bypassers, the birds chirping and flying by, the distant bells of shopkeepers trying to lure in customers. She didn't care anymore, she didn't care who heard her. She no longer cared who disagreed. All that mattered to her at the moment was getting Naruto to know how she truly felt about him, even if it meant.. she trembled slightly..

..even if it meant going up there right now and telling him.

'If I went upstairs and surprised him, maybe that would make him happy. Maybe I could sneak into b-.. No no, Hinata, no!' she shook her head free of any wandering thoughts. 'That's too much!' and then the hormones began to take over. 'Well, if I snuck into bed with him, yeah! And he'd wake up and see me in his arms, and I could look up at him and tell him that I love him, yeah! I could do that!' She blushed wildly at her own plan, and then looked over to the door that would lead her upstairs. "Do I really want to do this.." she asked herself. "I mean, I'd love to be in his arms, but one thing does lead to another, and.. and.." her cheeks grew even redder. 'No!!' she reminded herself. She had already been caught once today, she didn't want to run that risk again! _Especially_ with the _real thing_. She took a few deep breaths and collected her thoughts together.

'Maybe there's somewhere I can just sit until he wakes up..' she felt that would be the best course of action. She had hoped dearly that he wouldn't freak out waking up to her stare, as if she had been stalking him, but she believed that Naruto-kun would never think of her like that, even though he _did_ call her weird when she was younger.

Another deep breath, "Alright, I _know_ I can do this." She approached the door and calmed herself again, taking another breath. She slowly crept her hand forward towards the doorknob and had just placed a finger on it when a voice bellowed from behind her.

"Narutoooo! Wake the hell up!!"

Hinata nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned around to see Sakura standing a few feet behind her, looking up into Naruto's window, tapping her foot impatiently. It was one thing if she needed Naruto and he was late, it was _another_ thing if he was being just plain lazy. She walked up to the side of the house and pounded on it as if it were a front door,a nd the whole building began to shake. "Naruto! Get your ass out of bed this instant!" Hinata gasped. Such an attitude from Sakura, what could possibly be _this_ important?

Finally, an answer as Naruto replied in a half-awake moan. "What do you want, Sakura-chan??"

"Tsunade has requested your presence! It's an important mission!"

Naruto's head popped out from the other side of the window. "An important mission? No way, awesome!! I'll be right down, just let me get dressed." He turned away to get dressed when he stopped and looked quickly again out the window. He _did_ see her! He waved, "Hinata-chan! Good morning!"

She smiled brightly in return, "Good morning, Naruto-kun! Did you sleep well?"

"I sure did," he stretched his arms well over his head. "Thanks for asking! I'll be right down, okay? Don't go anywhere!" And he ran back into his room to get changed.

Sakura looked over to Hinata, then back up to the window, and then once again to Hinata with a puzzled look on her face. What happened between _these_ two? She had expected something would eventually, and she was happy that it was finally occurring. It wasn't that she was hoping Naruto would get over her (though it did get pretty annoying at times). She had become a really good friend of Hinata's over the past two years, and she got to know a lot about her. Hinata actually had shared many of her thoughts about Naruto _to _Sakura, and she was glad that a deserving girl like Hyuuga Hinata would finally get what she had so very much wanted.

Hinata glanced over to Sakura and waved shyly, and Sakura nodded her head and smiled., shooting the "I know something went on" smirk to her.

Hinata blushed and nodded her head. "I'll tell you later," she said. Sakura's smile widened. She was so happy for her!

'It's been such a tough time for her lately,' Sakura thought to herself, looking at Hinata's warm smile. 'Me and the other girls could only do so much. She really needed him and,' she looked back up to his window, and saw his silhoutette fumbling around the room. She laughed.

"You certainly came back at the right time, Naruto." Hianta heard her say this, and she closed her eyes and nodded to Sakura in agreement. She couldn't have been any happier to hear that from one of her best friends! Hinata opened her eyes and saw the figure of a young man about ten feet behind Sakura, leaned up against an electrical pole. He was staring directly at the ground in front of him, not moving an inch.

'I've never seen him around here before," Hinata thought to herself. She looked over at Sakura, and she didn't recall him walking over with her. She actually didn't see Sakura walk over, herself, in the first place. 'He's handsome. I wonder if he's somebody Sakura met.'

"Who's the guy, Sakura-san?"

Her eyes lit up, "He's with me. His name is Gasuki Oroyo. He's a visitor to Konoha for the week." Oroyo looked up towards Hinata. The timid teen avoided his stare.

"Who's he visiting?"

"He says his grandfather is old man Aidon who works down by the mill!"

"You're kidding! Aww, what a nice guy, old man Aidon is!"

Kaelu smirked to himself. More compliments to tell Atsuke about.

"So," Hinata twiddled her fingers yet again. "What have _you_ got to tell me?" Sakura walked up to her friend and brushed her hand through her hair quickly, repeating her words.

"I'll tell _you_ later." They giggled to themselves. Kaelu shook his head and sighed. 'Girl talk,' he muttered to himself. 'Never got it, never will.' As he said this, he looked up towards this Uzumaki Naruto kid's house as he heard a door close, followed by the sound of a rapid descent down a flight of stairs. He was hoping he would hear a crash, or at the very least a thud from the bottom of the stairs, but such humor would have to wait. The first floor door flew open, catching the attention of both Hinata and Sakura as an over-excited Uzumaki nearly stumbled over the two of them, still fighting to get his jacket on.

"Wow, I can't believe it, we have a mission?? Already? And I just got home!" He got his arms finally through his sleeves. "What's the mission?"

"I don't know," Sakura answered. "She wanted to wait until the three of us were there."

Naruto turned his head to Hinata and his eyes widened, "so is Hinata going on this mission with us?" She shook her head at him slowly. "Oh.."

"Kakashi-sensei is," Sakura added. "Hinata came to visit you this morning and," she put her hand to the back of her head and offered an apologetic smile. "I think I might have interrupted something."

"No," Hinata said to Sakura. "It's okay, really. I just wanted to surprise him when he woke up, and I think I still got to."

Naruto blushed. That was so.. so cute of her! Now he really wasn't all that excited for the mission. "Hey Sakura, how long will this mission be?"

Sakura replied, "If we're swift about, Tsunade-sama said it should only take a full day. We can be back tomorrow afternoon."

Naruto nodded, "Alright! In that case," he turned to face Hinata, but instead his eyes caught onto Gasuki who was still leaning against the pole. He glared at him "Hmmm..." Naruto ran up to him quickly and began to glare at him up close. "And who are you?

Oroyo answered politely, "Gasuki Oroyo. I'm a friend of Sakura's and I'm here on a week's vacation to visit my grandfather."

"Week's vacation, huh?" He looked at him, then back at the two girls, standing there patiently, then back at the stranger, checking out his every feature. "So, are you in the military or something? Funny outfit you got."

"You're one to talk, wearing orange like that." The two girls laughed to themselves, but Naruto clearly heard it.

"Hey! I'll beat you up if you insult me in front of my friends, again! Who do you think you are?"

Oroyo leaned forward and returned a glare to Naruto. "Somebody that can take you without even breaking a sweat." Naruto glared back. They might have stayed like this for a long time had Sakura not decided enough was enough, or had somebody bumped Oroyo from behind.

"Boys, boys!" Sakura walked toward them, preventing any further scrapping. "No need to get like this, there's much more important things to worry about. Naruto, we have to get to Tsunade's and fast!"

Naruto agreed. "That's right, I want to get this mission done as fast as possible! I have better things to do!" Hinata blushed. She hoped he was talking about spending time with her!

"Which reminds me.. Sakura, do you think I can have a couple of minutes with Hinata?"

Both Hinata and Sakura gasped, but Hinata followed up with a blush and what might possibly be one of the world's cutest smiles. Sakura smiled and shook her head.

"Please try to make it quick, Naruto. This mission _is_ important." She walked over to Oroyo, who was still waiting patiently. "I already found Kakashi-sensei and he said he'd meet us there, so I'm gonna head over now. Just hurry up when you're done." The two began to run off, and as they passed Naruto and Hinata, Sakura stopped and leaned in to Hinata's ear.

"Knock 'em dead, girlie." Hinata giggled and blushed some more. Sakura smiled and took off with Oroyo down to the Central Building.

There a was moment of nervousness in the air. Both of them just kind of looked at each other, smiling, not sure what to say. It was after then that Hinata decided words weren't needed. She walked right up to Naruto, basically just a couple of inches away. His eyes followed her.

"Hinata, swe-" He stopped. He didn't want to use that endearment _just_ yet. "Are you okay?"

She said nothing in reply. She gazed up into his bright blue eyes, and he looked back at her. She put her head softly against his chest and she lid her arms around him, closing her eyes, listening to his heart beat. Naruto was frozen, he wasn't exactly sure what to do. 'Hinata's.. hinata's _hugging_ me.' He thought it was so adorable. In fact, now he wished he didn't have to go on the mission at all! He put his arms around her and squeezed gently. He heard her gasp softly, then she exhaled ever so quietly as she nuzzled her head against his chest. He moved her away slightly, holding her at her arms so that he could look at her again.

"Hinata-chan.. when I get back from this mission, I want to take another walk with you. There's something I actually want to talk to you about." Her eyes lit up. She couldn't believe what she was hearing!

"Oh, Naruto-kun, please hurry back!"

He laughed, "Of course I will. Nothing bad will happen, I promise." He looked around, checking to see if no one was looking, and once he turned back to Hinata, he couldn't remember if anyone was _anyway_. He brushed her cheek with the slightest touch. She put her hand on top of his. "Hinata."

"Yes, lo-.. Naruto?" She was lost in a dream world.

"There's something I would like to do right now, Hinata." He blushed slightly, taking his gaze off of her briefly. "But, I think it would work better after I tell you what I want to tell you tomorrow." She blushed right back at him, and it was her turn to look away. Naruto saw this and took her chin and pulled it up to face him again. "So, until then.." He leaned in ever so carefully, closed his eyes, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath when his lips touched her skin. Her body tensed up for a moment as she embraced the gift, and eased up with a long, loud sigh. She hugged him again, squeezing tightly. This was a moment she would _never_ forget. Naruto wouldn't, either."

She let go of him and backed up, still grasping his hand tightly. "I'll be waiting for you, Naruto-kun." He smiled.

"I know." He lifted her hand up to his lips and kissed it softly. He offered a smile to Hinata and another brush of her cheek, then he turned to the Central Building and began to run ahead. He yelled back to her, "I already am!"

She put her hand to her own cheek and smiled to herself happily. The blush never escaped her cheeks, but she wasn't ashamed of it.

"I have something to tell you to.." she turned to go back home and she laughed to herself.

"Believe it."

* * *

"Alright, listen up!" Tsunade placed her hands down on the desk. Naruto and Sakura each sat in chairs on the other side of the desk. Kakashi stood, arms crossed, in the middle of the room. 

"This isn't a difficult mission, but it's important to me and I want to make sure there is more than enough man-power to take care of it." She reached into her top drawer and pulled out a golden locket, lined with jewels and the pendant was carved into an eagle."This belongs to Sarutoha Kiria, an old friend of mine. She lives in the city of Kotoya, which isn't too far from here. She gave it to me as a gift for helping her out a long time ago. Now, I have recived word that her mother has passed." She paused a moment and cleared her throat. "This belonged to her mother, and she has asked that this locket be buried with her. Team Seven! It is your duty to make that this article gets to them in top condition."

Naruto, as usual, had something to object to. "Why do we need three people on this mission? It's not like we're escorting somebody or anything!"

Kakashi put his arms to his sides and stepped forward. "Kotoya is a big city. There are no shinobi, but there are gangs, thieves, and it's very dangerous if you don't know your way around. Luckily I've been there and I can probably guide us to where we need to go."

Tsunade nodded. "I haven't been there since the last time I saw her, but it was a glamourous city. Sure, some parts weren't as well off as others, but we won't be going anywhere near that." She handed him a slip of paper with an address and a picture of Kiria. "She's actually a councilwoman for the city, and she lives in the manor section of town." She gave the team a concerned look. "Just, _please_ be careful. It's a dangerous area if you don't keep your wits about you. Just keep an eye on yourselves and the locket and you'll be just fine."

"We'll have it done in no time!" Naruto exclaimed. "Let's get this back to the old lady and get back home."

Tsunade smiled. "Best of luck, you guys. I'm sure I'll hear from you all tomorrow." And with that, they left.

Kaelu had stood outside the door. He had heard the whole mission. When the three walked out, he stood up and acted as though he didn't hear a thing.

"Sorry we kept you waiting," Sakura told him with a grin.

"It's no problem." He stretched his arms out. "So, I'm assuming you're leaving on the mission now?"

"Yeah," they progressed down the hallway. "I'll be back in a day, though, and I'll be fine, so don't worry about me."

"Fine, I won't." He smiled and, as they were walking, took Sakura's hand. She blushed softly. Naruto and Kakashi were walking ahead of them, so they didn't notice. They held hands all the way to the entrance, when they separated because Naruto turned around to talk to Sakura.

"We better hurry back soon!" He pumped his fists, half excited for getting back in the swing of things with missions, half angry that he had to leave Hinata behind for a day.

"What's the matter, Naruto? Got a date?" Sakura winked at him.

"No! It's not that, it's.. I.." he had nowhere to hide. "I just have better things to do than to carry around a stupid necklace all day!!"

"And that's why _I'm_ the one carrying it?" Kakashi chuckled. Naruto glared over at him, and Sakura laughed. Oh, how she missed these days. "Well, you two. Let's head out." He began to walk out onto the open road. Naruto followed close behind. Sakura took a slow step, then waited for Naruto to get ahead of her, then she turned back and ran up to Oroyo. He gazed into her eyes and flipped the hair behind her ear lightly.

"Hurry back, okay?"

She grinned, "Of course." And she ran ahead to catch up with the rest of her team.

Oroyo's smile quickly faded as he walked that gorgeous young woman walk away. He clenched his fists tightly. His heart ached, his muscles tensed.

This might end up being one of the hardest thing's he's ever had to do..


	6. Ambush

**Disclaimer: **I could still keep writing on and on about how I wished Naruto and all the characters were mine, they're not. Naruto is someone else's story and I just happen to take pleasure in writing about it, so please take some pleasure in reading this! )

Edit: This was probably the most intense chapter written to date, please let me know what you thought of it! Thanks, ya'll!

-S.P.

* * *

**Risen- A Naruto fanfic  
Chapter Six- Ambush**

There wasn't a cloud in the sky. The sun beamed down mercilessly upon team seven in the scorching mid-afternoon sky. It was hot enough for Uzumaki Naruto to take his jacket off and tie it around his waist, and for Sakura to tie her hair up in a ponytail. Even Kakashi had taken his vest off and carried it over his shoulder. And this was only the first week of summer.

"Why _this_ mission?" Kakashi complained. "We have to leave this forest in the East and cut across the Ronin Plains in this heat, it's ridiculous.

"Don't worry, sensei," Sakura reminded him. "If we keep along this road to the South, we can cut a little closer to the city from this direction." She pointed to the map. "From Konoha directly east, the plains extend a good twenty miles or so. But if we take the forest path South and cut directly North to Kotoya, we'll only be out on the plains for ten miles. That means we can stay in the shade a little longer and avoid the sun head on until a little later in the afternoon when it's not at its highest point."

"That's a good idea. The last thing we need is to get overworked in weather like this. Let's pick up the pace a little bit, and when we reach the edge of the forest, we'll take a little break." Kakashi motioned Naruto and Sakura in his direction, then he swiftly jumped up into the trees and they ran off, following the road beneath them, towards Kotoya.

"Hey, Naruto," Sakura asked keeping in stride with her younger teammate. Kakashi kept a couple of trees ahead of them.

Naruto continued to look straight ahead. "What is it, Sakura-chan?" Asking her, giving as much of his attention as he could. He had a feeling he knew what this would be about.. rather, _who_. He knew her and Sakura were practically best friends, but he was kind of hoping to hear what Hinata might have told her about him.

"Well, I just wanted to ask you how you felt about Hinata-san. You know she really cares deeply about you." Naruto smiled. "Do you like her?" This caught his _full_ attention as he looked over at Sakura, keeping his peripheral vision on the branches in front of him.

"Do I.. like Hinata?" He replied, asking himself at the same time. Of course he did! He almost gave his first kiss (that counted and wasn't accidentally on a classroom desk) to her, and he probably would the next time he saw her! Well, he missed her already, and all he could think about was hugging her and holding her hand and making her smile. Maybe he..

He gulped. Maybe he _loved_ her.

Sakura added, "It's okay if you don't want to tell me, sweetie."

'_Sweetie?!_' he thought to himself. 'Wow, she must really want to know if she's talking me up like this. She _never_ calls me any more than my name, and I'm lucky if I get _that_ sometimes!'

"Well, it's just kind of hard for me to say this, but.."

"You love her." She smiled at him. He gasped and stared blankly at Sakura's face, looking into her big grin. "Just say it, Naruto." She looked ahead again. "Getting it off of your chest is probably one of the best feelings about admitting you love someone. Trust me, Naruto."

Naruto sighed, "I guess you're right." Sakura obviously knew more about love than he did. She wasn't afraid to confess herself when.. _he_ was around. This wasn't too different. "But what if she doesn't feel the same way? I mean, I don't want to scare her, or lose her."

"Just be confident in yourself, Naruto. You'd be surprised." Naruto's eyes widened.

"What does that mean? Do you know how she feels about me..?"

Sakura returned the glance back over to him, "You'll just have to find out for yourself. You have a day to think about it, don't you? Just say what feels right, Naruto. It'll all be worth it in the end." She looked forward again. "I know how she feels, but it wouldn't do it any justice if I told you. The reward would be looking into her eyes and hearing what she has to say. I'm not a mind-reader."

"I know, I just.." he smiled and sighed to himself. "I just.. can't wait to see her again."

"Sheesh, and it's only been an hour. You're such a hopeless romantic, Naruto, you can be such an idiot sometimes." Naruto put his head down and frowned. She hopped a branch and jumped onto his, keeping right next to him. She put an arm around him and slowed him down, and she spoke softly and gently to him.

"But I'm so happy for you. I'm happy for her. I'm like a big sister to both of you, and you deserve this, Naruto." He closed his eyes and felt as if all of the tension and stress of the situation left him. "You really do."

"Thanks, Sakura-chan." He put a hand to her shoulder briefly, only to quickly dogde an incoming pine. He then continued to jump from tree to tree through the forest. He caught up to Kakashi-sensei while Sakura continued her pace behind them.

"Kakashi-sensei," he asked shyly. "How much longer until we reach the valley?"

"Not much longer, Naruto. We'll take a break, soon. I just want to move as fast as we can while we still have the shade of the trees to keep us cool." Kakashi kept his focus on what was in front of him.

"Okay, sounds good," Naruto fixed his headband and wiped his forehead. He was starting to sweat again, and it was hard not to. It was mid-afternoon and it had to have been almost a hundred degrees outside. The sun was at its highest point and it was hard not to feel it, even in the shade of the trees.

"One more thing, Naruto." Kakashi glanced over at him. "Please, keep your mind on the mission at task. You're fifteen years old, Naruto. I know your mind wants to focus on.." he cleared his throat, "_other_ things."

"But, Kakashi-sensei, I wasn—"

"I know about Hinata, Naruto," his teacher explained. Naruto kept quiet after that. "I understand these events in your life are new and exciting, and I'm glad to know that you're experiencing this wonderful times and having a blast, but now's the time to really know the difference between work and play." Naruto's face grew stern. Kakashi shot a smile over at him. "She'll be there when you get back, right? Don't worry, you're not missing much. I'm sure all _she's_ missing is you." This returned the grin back to Naruto's face.

"Thanks, sensei. I needed to hear that. I'll focus on the mission, don't worry about me. I won't let you down." He gave his old teacher thumbs up and then slowed down his pace so that Sakura caught up with him. They would run side by side until they reached the edge of the forest, and the dry, vast Ronin Plains.

As they approached the edge of the forest, Sakura suddenly winced and reached for her side. She slowed down as they approached their destination on the outskirts of the forest. Naruto put an arm around her and helped her to the ground.

"Sakura-chan, are you alright." She grimaced in pain, then desperately tried to shake it off.

"It's nothing, Naruto. I think I might've just twisted the wrong way leaping off one of those branches. I'll be okay," she said in false hope to Naruto. She felt the adrenaline in her body begin to rush, and her heartbeat picked up. She was having a near-anxiety attack, but from what? Sweat began to pour down her forehead, and she grabbed a small towel from her back and wiped it off. All of a sudden, she huddled herself closely and felt a quick chill. Something didn't feel right in the air. It obviously wasn't the weather or anything, but the slight chill worried her all the more. She never was this nervous about a mission, but this time in particular, Haruno Sakura had the strangest feeling that something was terribly wrong

"Are you sure you're okay?" Naruto never left her side. Kakashi looked back at her in concern.

"I just have the weirdest feeling," she explained. "Like this is a bad idea. I just have a gut feeling that something's just.. not right out there." She leaned back against a tree and began to take deep, soothing breaths.

Kakashi looked ahead towards the plains. 'So,' he thought calmly. 'She feels it, too. I've been uneasy since we picked up the pace, I wonder what it means..' He turned to his younger teammates. "Okay, guys. If you want to take a quick break, now's the time to do it. We're only about ten miles away. If we keep at our running pace, we could make it in an hour, but the heat might take its toll on us, so it's probably best if we keep at a quick walking pace, at which case we should reach the city in two to three hours. I suggest we take a break and get ourselves together before we head out in this murderous, open air."

Naruto kneeled down, then shifted his legs outward and lay back onto the grass. He looked up at the sky through the branches of the trees. He smirked as he watch a lone white cloud drift across an infinitely blue sky. He glanced over at Sakura, who was no longer in pain but still frowning, worried about this mission. He leaned over on his side to face her.

"Don't worry, Sakura. We'll be fine. You'll see." She offered a slight smile. "Oroyo's his name, right? He's probably waiting for you to come back, just like Hinata is for me, and I can't wait to see the smile on her face when I come home through that gate tomorrow. I'm going to give her the biggest surprise she's ever gotten!" His partner laughed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Let's do this for them." She hugged her knees and looked up into the sky. Another cloud flew by. 'I wonder if this boy's for real,' she thought. 'Gasuki Oroyo, what a gentleman.' She sighed to herself. 'I just hope it's not another let-down.'

"Hey, Naruto?"

"What is it?"

"Oroyo.. he's only going to be here a week. Is it.. is it really worth pursuing him?"

Naruto thought for a moment. "Well, I think so! This is your chance to leave a long-lasting impression on him, and if he likes you, he'll never forget you, and I'm sure one day he'll come back. Give him something he'll remember you by, and he'll cherish meeting you forever."

Sakura smiled, "I hope you're right. Thank you, Naruto."

"Anytime, Sakura-chan." Another cloud went by overhead.

Thirty minutes had gone by in silence. Naruto had dozed off into a quick nap curled up on the ground, as had Sakura against the tree. Kakashi sat up in the branch of the tree above them, reading his book, occasionally looking up every so often as a few more clouds began to congregate across the sky. He rolled his shoulders forward and cracked his neck. "I think that's about enough time." He hopped down and landed on his feet in the grass. The impact, though light, was enough to wake Sakura up.

"C'mon, Naruto. Time to get a move on." He nudged him with his foot until the young shinobi opened his eyes. He rubbed them furiously then looked up at his teacher staring down at him.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Let's go, Naruto." Naruto complied and picked himself up. He shook himself off quickly and ran out to the edge of the trees and looked out to the plains. The city of Kotoya was visible in the distance. Above, a few small clouds scattered across the endless blue.

"Well," Kakashi remarked. "At least the weather has cooled down a bit. Let's get moving, guys." Kakashi led the way, with Sakura and Naruto right behind him.. Sakura looked up, feeling another slight chill, and saw a single grey cloud hover over them, heading north towards the city. The chill had been brought about by the quick shadow that momentarily veiled her.

'Interesting,' she thought to herself. They continued their walk as they cut through what seemed to be an old training ground. Sakura's eyes never stopped moving. She was examining every bit of this site. To her left, she saw two logs lay in the tall grass with one standing behind them. 'The weather must've knocked them down over time,' she concluded. She looked over to a small boulder, maybe only three or four feet high, to the right of her.

"This probably was a training ground for ninja way back when Kotoya was affiliated with the shinobi nations," Kakashi informed his pupils. "That was well over fifty years ago, and it appears that these grounds have lasted pretty well considering the test of time. _Especially_ on these plains, where the weather can be sometimes brutal."

"Wow," Naruto exclaimed. "You know a lot of stuff, sensei!"

"Well, I've been around to know a lot about many many places, and this.." He fell forward, interrupted as a large rumble shook the plains. Naruto stumbled forward and Sakura struggled to keep her balance.

"What was that??" She screamed.

"I don't know, just stay calm!" Kakashi answered. He looked around. There was not a person in sight! Was it an earthquake? He looked up and saw the grey cloud, still hovering about them, now covering the boulder in shade. He saw the center of the cloud slowly begin to push against itself.

"Naruto, Sakura!! Get down!!" Naruto, already flat on the ground, threw his arms over his head and Sakura fell to her knees and covered her ears. She tucked her head forward into her thighs. Kakashi leaned away from the boulder and covered his eyes, and just in time as a flash of lightning touched down upon the boulder, resonating in a deafening boom. Sakura screamed out in fright, and Naruto got up and stumbled over to her with the ground still shaking from the fissure. He put his hand to her back, comforting her.

"You're okay, Sakura, you're okay." She cried softly. She had never been that close to a lightning strike before and the flash and sound it had made was simply terrifying. He rubbed her back gently, "it's gone now, Sakura. It's over." He looked at her very concernedly until he heard his sensei call out to them.

"It's not over just yet!" Naruto's eyes shot up and he looked over to his teacher, whose eyes were focused on the boulder. A drip of sweat rolled down Kakashi's forehead as his gaze never moved off of that rock. Naruto slowly followed his stare until his eyes were fixed on the same location,

.. and he couldn't believe what he saw.

Standing underneath the shadows of the cloud, on top of the now-chiseled boulder was a person, and young boy with shoulder-length black hair, and piercing blue eyes. The breeze carried his long black cape in a gentle flow and his fists were clenched tightly at his sides. His entire wardrobe was black from the collar of his sleeveless T-shirt down to his work shoes. The only color on this boy were his arms and face, pale, and those eyes.

Naruto looked deeply into those eyes: light, cold, and merciless. He had seen this look before, and it was one of a killer. Suddenly, those eyes shifted their focus to Naruto, and the young ninja from Konoha began to shake. Sakura felt his arm tremble on her back, and she looked into Naruto's eyes and saw nothing but fear. She had never seen Naruto this truly afraid before, and now she was scared. She looked over to Kakashi, who was at a loss of words, himself.

The clouds had subsided and vanished into the distance. Naruto and Kakashi stared in the direction of this dark figure. There he stood atop a small boulder surrounded by nothing but blue sky and the green grass laminating in the wind. Kakashi looked around for cover in trees, but he wouldn't find any for a good few hundred feet. They were at the edge of the forest, leading into the Vast Plains of the continent, and here stood but one obstacle, unknown and, as far as they knew, very dangerous.

Kakashi got to his feet quietly. The stranger's attention quickly shifted over to the jounin, who stood about twenty feet away. Naruto and Sakura, who were about ten feet away from Kakashi, themselves, had a little more distance between them and the dark figure.

"What business do you have with us," Kakashi inquired. This was obviously a shinobi, with an entrance like that, and it was one he had never seen before.

"I want some answers, and you Konoha ninja are going to tell me exactly what I need to know." He cold eyes kept on Kakashi, not blinking once. "You need not know who I am. You just need to know that I'm not somebody you should mess with." Naruto and Sakura scowled at the stranger, who dashed a look at them almost instantly. "Consider this your warning: my skills are immeasurable, and you would not stand a ghost of a chance against me." He turned back to the son of the White Fang. "All I ask is for some answers, and I'll let you go on your way. You have my word."

"First, tell us who you are and what your business is." Kakashi demanded. He was desperate to know just who he was up against.

The shadowy teenager put both of his hands to his forehead and moved his bangs out of his eyes. He then crossed his arms, shook his head as there was still hair still in his face, and spoke the loudest he had yet.

"If I must," he jumped down into the grass and stuck the landing almost perfectly. He was about the same height as Naruto, though his appearance alone was far more threatening and dangerous than the young Konoha shinobi's. "My name is Minaya Kaelu. I am a shinobi from the establishment of Kyoko in the Southern Continent." Kakashi's eyes widened. What business did he have _here?_

The paralyzing gaze seemed to burn through Kakashi's skin. It was as if he was looking into the sensei's soul. "I'm here for answers on the Fallen Angel."

"The what??" Naruto butted in and Sakura covered his mouth quickly.

"The Fallen Angel, a prophecy left to our peoples said to be a savior to our land." Kakashi glared at the boy as he continued on. "We seek its awakened power for our own use. We have.. expectations for its.. uniqueness."

Kakashi stared hard at the dark teenager. He had heard everything he needed to hear, but he pressed on. "And just what is that?"

Kaelu smirked, "Power. Vengeance. The nation of Kyoko will become the far leading military power on the planet, and this puts us in standing with the highest political and economic nations of the world. Nobody would dare oppose us. Our power would be, how should I say.. _infinite._"

"You're mad." Kakashi scowled. "You're planning to take this person from their life and turn them into a weapon. That's sickening,"

"But that's how it is," Kaelu finished. "You're telling me you've never once been used as nothing but a weapon in some activist's scheme. That's a lie. Ninja are nothing but tools. They're bred as tools, they'll die as tools, and they'll be remember only for the numbers that died at their power."

Naruto broke free from Sakura. "And you're going to tell me that you enjoy being used as a weapon."

Kaelu looked over at him and laughed maniacally. Naruto's eyes became fearful again as Kaelu took a step towards him. Naruto stepped forward, putting his arms up, kunai in hand, protecting Sakura.

"Boy, you couldn't even begin the fathom the number of lives I've taken," Kaelu remarked. "I have not known any family since I was four years old. I have lived my life training, pushing myself, becoming what I am today." Kaelu's glare shifted over to Sakura, and she looked right into his eyes and she felt herself begin to shake.

"I am the most powerful shinobi.. alive." His eyes seemed to almost rotate slightly and his glare became even more frightening. At this moment, Sakura put her hands to her head and shrieked loudly.

"Naruto!!!" She fell forward. Naruto caught her and began to shake her. She wasn't with it.

"Is this a genjutsu.." He asked himself. "Sakura, wake up!! Sakura!!"

Kaelu clenched his fists. "Sakura," he said to himself. 'I'm sorry,' he thought. 'But this will be for the greater good.'

Kakashi reached for both of his kunai and crossed them in front of him. "I'll will _not_ let you hurt my teammates." It was obvious that he was nervous, and slightly scared. He didn't know what to expect from this.. this _kid_. But he realized that this boy may _not_ be all talk, and if he wasn't, then he most certainly had a reason to be afraid.

Kaelu's eyes focused back on Kakashi. "Like you're going to stop me." He brought his hands up in front of him and touched his fingertips together. Kakashi lowered his mask, revealing his trump card: the Sharingan eye. He wasn't quite sure what this kid was preparing, but he had to be ready at all costs.

Kaelu focused on his hands. His body seemed to shake. 'How hard is he pressing his fingers together?' Kakashi thought. The wind began to pick up around Kaelu and after a few seconds of blowing about in chaos, it began to circle around him.

"Stay back," Kakashi warned. "And be ready."

Kaelu smirked. It was obvious he was already done preparing himself. "Be ready for what? There's no way you're going to stop what I have in store for you." He dropped his right hand, leaving his left arm up. He pointed at Kakashi, and then held his fingers apart so they outlined the shape of a pentagon. "Hatake Kakashi,"

Kakashi gasped, his face frozen in time.

"You have no chance."

Then, a flash of light. which immediately turned Naruto and Sakura away, emitted from the enemy's hand. What followed was a bolt of lightning, rotating in a star pattern, coming from his fingertips at an unmatched speed towards Kakashi. The skilled jounin was only quick enough to see what was coming in his direction and brace himself. The streak of lightning barreled into his arms and shocked him severely, sending him flying a good distance backwards. Naruto was only able to look back in the enemy's direction and watched as Kakashi hit the ground and tumbled to a stop a few feet later.

"Kakashi-sensei!!" He was still flustered by the light and continuously blinked and rubbed his eyes. Sakura got to her feet, rubbing her eyes, and when she opened them, she saw Kakashi, burnt up and his clothing emitting smoke, and she screamed. Kaelu laughed to himself and walked slowly and confidently towards his latest victim. Kakashi was shaken up and wincing in obvious pain.

"What the hell just… Ahh" He reached for his right arm, which had been singed pretty badly. "What the hell just hit me?" He looked up at his opposition in anger. "What the hell is this kid..?" The boy pointed at him again as he walked towards him. "Listen up, you son of a bitch," Kakashi snarled. "I.. will not allow.." He breathed slowly heavily. "People like you… to.."

He was silenced. Another loud crackle, and another blinding light, as a quick jolt of lightning shot form his index finger and zapped Kakashi in the back while he was getting up. The venerable sensei yelled out in pain.

"Shut up and stay down, old man," Kaelu said. Kakashi groaned in continuous pain as more and more of his body began to burn and smoke. Kaelu smirked. Another blast, another jolt of lightning, this one hitting Kakashi in the side. He curled over, screaming in agony as he hands crawled over to his side, his body now fuming smoke. It was obvious Kaelu was only toying with him.

Naruto had enough. He closed his fists tightly and yelled out to his enemy. "Cut it out, you monster! What good is killing any of us going to do? You're not going to get your answers, now are you??" The shadowy figure's eyes turned slowly towards Naruto, and he disappeared in a flash of lightning. Naruto gasped, and by the time he had finished his breath, another flash came from behind him. Kaelu stood amidst the sparks of his latest replication jutsu and raised his hand, pointing his five fingers in a pentagon at Naruto. Uzumaki was now frightened beyond any comprehendible thought, and he instinctively turned around, kunai in hand, and reached at Kaelu, attempting to slash him. 'Shit!,' he thought. 'I have to get him before it's..'

"Too late.."

Sakura reached out desperately for her brother and partner, "Narutoooo!!!" She was drowned out by the blast of electricity and the brightness that seemed to swallow up the plains. From behind her arms, Sakura was able to see the silhouette of her teammate fall slowly, face-first, towards the ground. The kunai he held slowly dropped from his hand and fell by his side as he came crashing down with a loud thud. Sakura came running to his aid immediately. She didn't care that the opponent was mere inches from her fallen friend. Naruto was injured, and badly. Sakura knew it was up to her to rescue him before it was too late. She squat down by him and rolled him over onto his back. She looked desperately into his eyes to find a sign of life, and finally found one when she noticed a slight grimace in his eyes from the pain. She looked up and saw Kaelu just stood still. His eyes, warmer than usual, watching Sakura. He clenched his hands tightly and winced as smoke rose from them.

"This was not his fight. It is not yours, either." He turned and walked back towards Kakashi, still talking to his "friend."

"If you get in my way again, I will _not_ hesitate to kill you. " He pressed onward. Sakura was speechless. She was scared, nervous, and now, alone. It appeared that Kakashi and Naruto were down for the count, and she was now left to do what she had been taught to do with all of these sessions with Tsunade: heal. This was her biggest test, and now that it was here, it was for real, and she was terrified: scared for her own life.

Naruto's eyes opened. "What.. what just happened?" He first focused on Sakura, who was petrified, squatting above him, her hands hovering over his body. 'What's she doing..' he thought. He went to reach up to touch her hand, and it was then that he realized that something was terribly wrong. He wanted to then move his other hand, and when he tried, nothing came about it.

His left leg wouldn't kick, nor would his right. He began to panic.

"Sakura-chan.. Sakura-chan!!" His voice became shaky and the tears of sheer fright came to fill his eyes. Sakura snapped out of her daze and quickly looked at Naruto.

"What is it? Are you okay? What hurts?"

"Nothing, Sakura." Naruto began to panic. "I don't feel anything. I can't.. move.."

She gasped. This wasn't happening! Naruto couldn't move _any_ of his limbs and it was obviously he was quickly moving into a state of delirium. 'Oh my God, he's paralyzed,' she thought to herself. 'I can't tell him that, I have to try and fix this, I _can't_ fail now!' She kneeled over him and put her hands over his chest. First thing's first: she had to stop his body from smoking and she had to cure his burns. Green chakra began to visibly flow from her hands, and it seemed to insert itself into Naruto's body through his skin pores. He wasn't burnt _too_ badly, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Kaelu stopped walking for a moment, then he turned back to the two young shinobi. "Oh, and Sakura," he began. She looked at him with great anger. "Don't bother with his lack of motor skills." She continued to stare at him, wondering what he was talking about.

"I electrocuted the chakra point at the back of his neck, paralyzing the flow of his energy from the neck down." Sakura's jaw dropped. Naruto's mouth quivered slightly. "He'll be temporarily paralyzed until the chakra flow can heal and began its normal flow. It might take an hour or so. He should be glad I didn't kill him." Naruto gritted his teeth and glared at Kaelu.

"You bastard! I'll kill you!" Sakura covered his mouth again.

"Naruto, stop it! You'll get us all killed!" She did her best to keep him calm. Minaya watched briefly, then continued his slow walk over to Kakashi.

Kakashi had seen what had happened to Naruto, but was in no position to react. His whole body seemed to burn mercilessly, though it had calmed down in the last couple of minutes. His skin and his clothing were both still smoking, and it had hurt every time he moved. At least now he was able to get onto all fours and face the action. "Naruto," he said to himself. "You're action almost got you killed! You were in no position to fight this kid, and now it might cost you more than this battle.." Kakashi shook his head slowly, then looked up painfully at his bane. "What are you doing? What will this solve??"

The boy smiled. "Everything." He raised his arms up in explanation. "I don't need you to tell me who the Angel is or even where they live. I can conclude the spirit is somewhere in Konoha and," he shrugged, mockingly disappointed at the situation. "I get still get the answers I need by killing you. All of you."

Kakashi retorted. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"It's elementary, my friend," he explained, laughing to himself. "It is said, 'Love will bring it to life.' When you die, the Angel will appear from out of the crowd, Awakened, and under my power!"

"Nonsense!" Kakashi exclaimed, getting a nasty look from Kaelu. "I don't know you as a shinobi, nor as a person, but I have heard of you, Minaya. This is all some sick, twisted plan of yours to gain power for yourself."

"You're wrong, Kakashi! This is different!"

"No, I see clearly!" Kakashi stumbled to his own two feet. "The hunter has grown tired of being hunted. This is to get the citizens of your land to believe that _you're_ not the spirit!" This mental bluff clearly was not working, however. Kaelu pointed forward and shot another lightning bolt into Kakashi's already tethered body. "No!" was the response from the unmoved boy as Kakashi screamed out in pain, again. "I will _not_ hear this anymore!" The smoke cleared from Kakashi's body. Kaelu was growing furious. "I will tell you, over and over, again. I am _not_ this being! I am _not_ going to subject myself to this humiliation _anymore!!_" He clasped his hands together, and pulled them apart forcefully as lightning connected each of his pairing fingertips. He screamed out, "I will rid myself of this wrong doing and escape this life-long exile once and for all, even if it means awakening this monster with my bare, bloody hands!!"

The lightning at his fingertips grew fiercer. Kakashi was running out of time. He had to think, _fast_. The electricity grew stronger and stronger, and the cyclone wind began to circle both Kaelu and Kakashi, engulfing them in a chakra-made hurricane. Suddenly, Kaelu brought his hands together in a clap. The winds died off and the lightning dissipated into a burst of sparks.

"It ends here." Kakashi had no response. He just stared as his young enemy raised both arms, curving all of his fingers out and downwards towards his weak opponent.

"Lightning Elemental," the cyclone picked up again. "Storm's Eye Bellow!" And in that instant, the cyclone lit up in an infinitely bright discharge of energy. From Naruto and Sakura's point of view, all they could see was what seemed to be a glowing white twister. Then the boom hit them. It shook the plains and forest for miles, and Sakura fell onto her back from the tremors. Naruto's body was pushed back and rumbled along the ground. The crackle made by the lightning discharge was deafening, and had Sakura covering her ears as she fell back. Naruto didn't quite have this luxury as he took the massive decibel blast in full stride.

Inside the funnel, Kaelu had released powerful streams of lightning from all ten of his fingertips, and as it hit Kakashi's body, the sparks got strewn around viciously in the whirlwind and shocked Kakashi again each time revolving around the funnel. Kakashi couldn't even scream as he was being not only electrocuted to the maximum degree, but burned alive by the continuous flow and contact with the electrostatic sparks and cinders of the ground and grass coming up from beneath him. After a few seconds, Kaelu stopped the electric release and the cyclone died down to nothing. The sparks that worked their way up the twister now scattered across the plains, making for a fabulous display of fireworks.

Minaya Kaelu stood, breathing deeply over a pile of cinders and ash. He was in pain: his hands were emitting smoke and the bottom of his cape had singed and shredded. He grimaced and slowly clenched his fists over and over, getting himself used to the discomfort.

Sakura saw the pile of ash below Kaelu and immediately assumed the worst. "Kakashi-sensei!!" Naruto tried to lift his head off of the ground, trying to get a better view of what happened.

"What's going on Sakura-chan? What happened to Kakashi?"

"He's.. he's been," she got interrupted.

"He's had better days," the voice said coming from the fallen log at the other side of the ground. There stood Kakashi, tired and lucky to be alive. He held his left arm, rubbing his forearm very lightly, still coping with the burns from earlier. His body wasn't smoking anymore, though his wardrobe had many holes in it from all of the previous burns, not to mention the spikes of his white hair were slightly singed off and blackened.

Sakura yelled out in relief. "Kakashi-sensei! You're alright!"

"Yeah," he joked. "You could say that." He put his right hand to the back of his head. "I guess I'm not going to want to look in a mirror tonight."

Kaelu looked up at the Konoha hero, then back down to where the dastardly deed was done. Amongst all of the ashes of the grass, the dirt, and the rubbled rocks, he found the chipped and burnt remains of a very unfortunate log.

And fifty feet away stood a very _fortunate_ Hatake Kakashi.

His blue eyes lightened with a sense of humor. "At least I know I can expect a fight from you. I was almost disappointed."

Kakashi jumped down very carefully from the standing log. "Sorry to keep you waiting, then. I guess I just wanted to see _just_ how strong this.. Child prodigy is." In the sky, grey clouds began to hover in over the plains.

Kaelu grinned, "Sad then, my friend." He held up his left fist and clenched it tightly, releasing a few spark into the air. "This may be the only time you'll witness this power."

"I know," Kakashi took out his kunai, spun it a few times around his finger, then gripped it tightly, ready for close combat. "It's exciting."

"It shouldn't be, though." Kaelu paced around, keeping his eye on his opponent. "I don't think you can possibly comprehend the extent of my power. My chakra is _infinite_"

'I can see that, so this will be totally harder than I had first imagined,' Kakashi thought to himself. 'This boy has mastered raijutsu, lightning technique, and he has adapted his body to be the perfect weapon in this style.'

"As powerful as you are, I doubt you'll ever attack me head-on with a physical aggression, am I right?" Kakashi invoked. His enemy, full of pride, felt almost obliged to answer.

"You know me well," he smirked. "I have no need to ever do that, though. Nobody would be able to get that close to me in an attack of their own, anyway," he boasted.

Sakura stayed by Naruto's side as they watched the two superior ninja exchange words. She rubbed his shoulder nonstop with the hopes that it will help him regain feeling faster. He barely even paid attention to her deed as his eyes were fixed on his long-time sensei and the struggle he was in.

Kaelu blew the final smoke off of his left knuckles, and then cracked his knuckles by locking his fingers together and stretching outward. The once scorching heat of the sun was now extinguished as the sun itself was veiled behind dark storm clouds. "But just so you don't get the wrong impression," he added, "I'm going to have to show you that you can't take me for granted."

Kakashi replied, "With my sharingan eye you won't have any chance to surprise me with any attack like that." He dropped his kunai into his pouch and put his fists up. He knew that his hand-to-hand combat was about to be tested.

Kaelu nodded his head and closed his eyes, grinning. "Oh, but I won't need to, Kakashi." He took a step forward and leaned on his front leg. He opened his eyes and peered into Kakashi's. "You're about to witness the full extent of raijutsu's power." With that, he charged at Kakashi, but before he even took his second step, he vanished in a flash of lightning.

Kakashi gasped, "He's on the move!" His sharingan eye was able to pick up his intended target, and Kakashi began to brace himself for a low hit to his right shin, but before he could move his body fast enough for a complete block, another flash appeared and Kaelu was below him, mid-kick, aiming for the side of his right shin. He connected with a fast and effective hit. It stung Kakashi, but it wasn't nearly what he would consider _painful_. Then his eye caught another movement: up high to the left shoulder. He began to stand back up again and move his arms in front of his chest. They had gotten up to his waist when Kaelu disappeared and reappeared in front of him with a flash of lightning, striking him in the shoulder with a quick punch. Again, not a lot of damage was done, but before Kakashi could survey the situation, another movement.

Then another, and then another.

Kakashi began to flail as strike after strike connected, Kaelu replicating himself through the lightning bolts immediately after each blow to his opponent. Though they weren't Gai-calibur punches, Kakashi knew that they would begin adding up, and after a good number of strikes, he was feeling the pain spread across his body. 'There has to be a way out of this,' he thought. By the time he gathered his next thought, he had been hit three more times, a slight kick to each ankle and an elbow to the chest. 'Follow his movements, Kakashi,' he spoke to himself. 'I know exactly what he's going to do; I can see every technique, every punch, kick and elbow. The human body just can't react to the speed his delivering these blows.' He took a punch to the stomach that connected hard and he doubled over, having the wind knocked out of him. Kaelu appeared behind him and stopped only for a minute.

"Such a sad sight," he said, and he continued his barrage. Kakashi tucked his head in and covered it with his arms, protecting his face, neck, and chest from further harm.

"It's unfortunate," Kaelu said, pummeling away, "for you, I mean. Come now," he laughed.

"Do you really think you can stop somebody moving near the speed of light…?"

Kakashi reached out with his left arm towards his side as Kaelu kicked him low by his right knee and then punched him in the back after another light-speed replication. He disappeared again and reappeared to Kakashi's side, ready to kick..

..and right into his open arm.

At that very instant, Kakashi lifted his arm, holding the boy's leg tightly, and in no more than a second, slammed the raijutsu master hard into the ground, sounding off a huge crash and shooting dust and dirt into the air. The boy's back hit hard, and he yelped out as his body bounced off of the dirt bed and landed again. He coughed as some of the dust hovered in his face. Kakashi stared down at him.

"It's hard to react when you don't prepare yourself for something, eh?" Kaelu scowled, then smirked with a shaky voice, still hurting from the take down.

"Nice catch, old man. You got lucky," he retorted.

"Luck had nothing to do with it," Kakashi replied calmly. "I was able to see and predict where you would strike me four or five hits in advance. I let you connect with hit after hit to make sure my predictions were correct, and they were." He took a step back form his opponent and held his arms up and shrugged. "Once I concluded that all of my predictions would be right, I picked a blow to start at, and reacted to the one that would hit me four or fives attacks later. That just happened to be your attempt at kicking me in the ribs." Kaelu glared at the Konoha jounin, he had figured him out!!

"It was no coincidence that my hand was ready to grab you and throw you down exactly where you ended up putting your leg." Kakashi continued. "It was all a matter of you seeing how fast you could hit me that you forgot to realize I still had the strength to defend myself."

"Not bad," Kaelu responded.

Naruto's head now rested on Sakura's lap so he could get a better view of the action. "What's Kakashi waiting for?" He asked. "He needs to finish this guy off NOW!" Sakura didn't respond, her eyes remained on the battle to her left. She caught something in her peripheral vision and snapped her head to the right. Naruto's toes were wiggling, as were his fingertips.

"Your healing is going faster than I expected. Are you hurting?"

"Nah," Naruto answered. "At least, not my fingers and toes." She let out a small laugh at his comment. "It might hit me once the feeling in the rest of my body comes back but right now," he crawled his fingers into a sloppy fist. "I need to go help Kakashi-sensei as fast as possible."

Kakashi grabbed the kunai from his pouch again and ran it across his fingers. He gripped it tightly. "It ends here, boy." Kaelu looked up at his enemy. It pained him to move, still. The impact of the Earth had bruised him badly, and he didn't have enough chakra currently to attempt another barrage like his previous.

Kakashi bantered further, adding insult to injury. "Your country feared you, Minaya. They understood the endless power you could achieve and the infinite ability you could awaken from your heart, just as the prophecy says. That's why you were never let to love, even as a child. Love was kept far, far away from you." Kaelu's eyes dimmed and stared coldly into Kakashi's.

"You were Kyoko's punishment, and they were smart for nipping it the bud while they knew they could. It's obvious your own father feared to love you knowing what you were, and you were taken away from him to prevent you from ever loving him in return." Kaelu's eyes burned with rage.

"And now, the Angel will be nothing more than that. This is the end" Kakashi reached up with his free hand and grabbed his blue mask. Sakura and Naruto both gasped as Hatake tore it from his face and threw it to the ground. His eyes were unforgiving and Kaelu began to shake with both hatred and despair. His life, his pains began to flash in his own mind, in and out as quickly as he had moved before. Suddenly everything in his mind and around him became quiet and Kakashi raised his kunai to a readied position.

Raindrops began to fall as the sky was now completely hidden behind a curtain of heavy, dark clouds.

"Die."

He lunged forward, prepared to stab Kaelu in the heart. In a last-ditch effort, Kaelu reached to his side and grabbed his pouch. He threw it straight up in the air, a good five feet over the diving Kakashi.

"Oh no you don't!" Kakashi yelled, and as he followed through with his left hand, he grabbed a second kunai with his right and readied it to the pouch above his head. The kunai came down at Kaelu and, right before impact, a flash of light and sparks scattered across the vicinity. Kakashi immediately saw he was about to stab a weapon pouch.

"Now!!"

Kakashi leaned back, reaching up with his right arm, aiming at the heart of Kaelu who was now positioned over him. The kunai in his left hand connected with the top left corner of the black weapon pouch below him. He made sure the weapon in his right hand didn't miss as he drove the kunai deep into the heart of his opponent.

Sakura cringed and looked away. As many times as she had seen this happen before, it still made her queasy to see somebody die like this in front of her eyes. Naruto, on the other hand, couldn't stop watching, moving his muscles now as far up to his elbows and knees.

And then, a series of bright flashes, followed by a strike of lightning. Again, Naruto and Sakura were forced to look away momentarily.

Kakashi's eyes opened wide, and all he could do was stare up at the weapon pouch that was staring at him back as his body, burned and scarred, slowly fell numb. He struggle to turn his head but, as he was falling backwards, he was finally able to glance behind him. There lay Kaelu, his left arm gripping tightly around his right wrist, his right hand completely covered in static, sparks jumping violently from his fingertips. Embedded in his left shoulder was the kunai that had struck the pouch before the replication.

'What have I done?' Kakashi asked himself in defeat. 'If I had stabbed the pouch dead center, he wouldn't be moving right now. I let him get away..'

"You were right, Hatake," said Kaelu in a dark, sinister tone. "This is the end." He scowled and thrust his right hand forward. "Shock Helix!"

Naruto screamed out desperately, "Kakashi, sensei!!" Sakura had to turn away, she couldn't bear to watch what would happen next.

His hand connected with the back of Kakashi's spine. Electricity shot everywhere, completely swallowing up the two combatants. Kakashi was being struck with the same force as a lightning storm, and because the kunai was lodged in his body, so was Kaelu. The surge created by his body was now recoiling itself through his own chakra system, and his skin began to smoke and burn as well as his victim's. The rain had made both of them perfect targets. After a few more seconds of this treacherous contact, Kakashi's body fell completely limp as Kaelu held him up by his right hand, struggling to stand himself.

Minaya's body was now smoking from all over, his legs trembled from all the weight of Kakashi on him, and the kunai lodged in his shoulder even began to give off static. With his last bit of physical strength, he was able to throw Kakashi a couple of feet away. He stumbled and finally fell back onto his hands and backside. Breathing heavily, he winced as he brought his right hand up and put it to the handle of the kunai. His left hand began to twitch because of the stabbing through the muscles in his shoulder. Without any further hesitation, he yanked it out from his body as a combination of static and blood sprayed from the wound. "Ah, damnit!!" He yelled out in pain. He reached over to his side and grabbed his own pouch and pulled out a double-edged kunai. He sighed to himself in relief as it wasn't damaged in the fight, and he stabbed it into the ground at an angle a few feet from Kakashi's body.

Naruto stared with utter disbelief. Kakashi _couldn't_ be dead, he just couldn't be! He was regaining the feeling back in most of his body and was able to sit himself up and glare at Kaelu. Sakura, who had turned back around to see the aftermath a moment ago, continue to stare blankly at her old sensei, lying lifeless on the ground. She had no words to express herself, and rivers of tears flowed from her eyes. The rain came to a stop, but the cloud cover still stood strong.

"Sakura," she didn't respond. "Sakura! Do you hear me? You have to go help him, hurry!" She just sat there, her hands to her chest in disbelief.

'This is all a bad dream,' she imagined. 'I'm going to wake up and everything's going to be okay..'

"Sakura!"

She snapped out of it. "Naruto!" She looked over at Kakashi-sensei and dried her tears. "I'll do whatever I can," She stumbled to her feet and regained her balance. The fighting and gore of the battle had made her sick to her stomach. Naruto jumped to his feet and nearly fell right back down because he was still getting used to the feeling in his body again, but he was able to maintain his composure.

"You son-of-a-bitch! I'll kill you for what you've done to Kakashi-sensei!!" He lunged at Kaelu with kunai in hand and all Kaelu could do was jump twenty feet back. This was Sakura's cue. She ran at full speed to Kakashi's side and proceeded with getting his jacket off and lifting his shirt up.

She inspected all of the burns on his body. Luckily, the Helix didn't cut right through him, otherwise he would be.. no. She wouldn't allow herself to assume that. She knew what she had to do; First, treat and heal the internal organs, then get him on his stomach and heal the wound and stop the bleeding on his back. Healing his vital organs would buy her more time for the wound on Kakashi's spine.

Kaelu stumbled on his own two feet, and began to cough up blood between his heavy breaths. Naruto could see that the boy's hands were starting to severely burn and his body was churning smoke like crazy. He was in truly bad shape.

"I've got you figured out, Kaelu, and it's time for you to surrender yourself." Naruto demanded. Kaelu didn't move, his gaze still heavily on Naruto. "You can convert electricity into chakra, and then release it from your body as controlled electricity, again. Anything that can conduct electricity can be used as a target for your techniques, whether it's a lightning bolt or a rapid series of replication jutsus."

Kaelu was impressed. "Maybe you're not as useless as I had first thought,"

"I'm not finished," Naruto interrupted. "The point is, you have an infinite amount of available chakra around you as long as there are lots of available conducts, but you're still like a battery, and after a lot of use, you need time to recharge. And most importantly, you're still human, and you know what happens to master raijutsu users when they come in contact with electricity?"

Kaelu's wound began to send off static from the aftershock, and he doubled over in pain, grabbing at the hole in his shoulder. Naruto smirked,

"The same thing that happens to everything else." Naruto took a step towards his opponent and Kaelu took a step to the left. Naruto counteracted with a step to the right.

'Shit,' Kaelu cursed under his breath. 'I still need some more time to recharge. I used so much chakra for that last attack, and I ended up electrocuting myself thanks to that stupid dagger. I was too careless.' He needed a way out of this situation. He knew that he wouldn't be able to win if Naruto could keep the fight going. He knew he would wear out far faster than the jinchuuriki. He continued to sidestep as Naruto stepped to the opposite side, waiting for an opportunity to charge in at an angle and cut him off. He began to move faster in a circle to try and get Kaelu in a vulnerable position, but with every step he took, the wounded enemy was at least able to keep up.

They rotated halfway around the circle, Kaelu keeping his distance between Naruto the same. Naruto stared coldly at Minaya, about twenty feet in front of him. To Kaelu's right, Sakura kneeled over Kakashi's body close to the same length away. Kaelu's eyes moved over to the pair and thought of a way to make his escape.

'I don't know if I have enough energy left to do this,' he thought to himself. 'But it's my only chance. He then had a quick flashback in his mind about earlier today: when he met Sakura, when they walked around town, getting lunch together, holding her hand..

_"Hurry back, okay?"_

She grinned. "of course."

'Sakura,' he thought, quivering in his own mind. 'I may never have to say I'm sorry as the person you know.. but just know that I am..' He closed his eyes and raised his right arm, pointing a finger slowly in the direction of his pink-haired sweetheart. He looked up again at Naruto, who was moving his eyes back and forth from Kaelu's hand to his face.

"This battle is over."

Naruto was about ready to respond angrily, with more cursing and threats, when he suddenly noticed exactly what he was pointing at, and who was a sitting duck in the line of projection.

"Sakura, look out!!" Her head snapped up, gasping at Naruto. She immediately tried to get herself out of the way.

But she wasn't fast enough as another bolt of lightning escaped the fingertip of Minaya Kaelu, this one connecting with the double-edged kunai on the other side of Kakashi's body. Sakura threw her head back in pain as her arms flung out to her sides. Kaelu's lightning bolt made it's path to the kunai in a straight line, going right through Sakura's body to do so. In a split second, the attack was already in the past, and the damage was done.

Sakura leaned forward, catching herself with her shaky left arm, her right hand tenderly at her stomach. She gritted her teeth hard as her hand burned against her wound, the blood soaking her and her shirt. She knew the lightning had gone right through her. Naruto ran to her side as fast as he could. He basically slid the last few feet over to her and put his hands to her shoulders carefully.

"Oh my God," he muttered. "Sakura, hang in there." The life from her bright eyes began to fade. "Sakura-Chan, please, don't give up."

"I've done what I came here to do," said the dark voice from behind him. "Now, my answers will await me." With that, he bowed his head and raised his right arm, high into the sky. As fast as he had appeared earlier, a lightning bolt came down and struck him, and he was gone. Naruto didn't even turn around to watch, his priority was his team. He winced in pain. His body still spasmed from the paralysis and if felt as if the electricity was still running through him. Sakura started to lean and fall and he took her and picked her up.

"Sakura, you'll be okay. I promise." She was blacking out on him.

"Tell Oroyo," she whispered between subtle breaths. "I'm sorry." She leaned her head against his chest and closed her eyes, slowly.

"Sakura, no! Sakura!!" She didn't reply. Her arm dropped limp to her side. Naruto wanted to cry, he knew he wanted to cry. He just couldn't. Tears wouldn't form. He quietly dropped his head and walked a few feet over and placed Sakura in a grassy bed away from Kakashi. He then ran over to Kakashi and reached into his pouch and pulled out a firecracker: an emergency signal to Konoha. He fumbled with it until he found the seal along the bottom. He tore it off and quickly threw it as high as he could. The small explosive flew over a hundred feet in the air and then set off, exploding in a small cluster of red and white fireworks, lighting up the sky once again.

He looked over at Sakura, then over at Kakashi. "I hope this works," he said softly. He ran back over to Sakura's side and pulled out bandage tape from his own pouch, which he usually used for his knuckle for intense training. Without any hesitation or straying thought, he ripped her black shirt open, then reached underneath her and held her up in his arms. He bit the edge of the tape free from the roll, and began winding the tape around her body, over the wound on her back and stomach. He worked quickly and efficiently, even though his mind was racing with hundreds of thoughts.

He bit the end of the bandage off, then wrap the end around her. The blood soaked into the bandage, keeping the loss as a minimum. "I let us down," he spoke softly. He remembered what happened earlier, when he spoke out in anger, only to get himself paralyzed my Kaelu's attack. "Sakura, if you can hear, me I'm sorry. Kakashi-sensei, I'm sorry. I failed you." He looked back over to Sakura. "I failed both of you." The tears finally began to roll down his cheeks and he hugged Sakura's body tightly and cried to himself. "Forgive me," he screamed out, even though nobody was around to hear him. He let go of Sakura and placed her back down into the grass.

He looked up at the sky, and the clouds were breaking, and the sun began to creep through the covering, lighting the fields once more. He grabbed at his left arm once again, grimacing, the electricity still pulsating through his body. He was alone, and the one person he wanted by his side was miles away. At first, he couldn't wait to get home to be with her. Now, he felt he would be ashamed to even look at her.

"I let you down, too," he just couldn't shake her form his mind. He now knew the answer to Sakura's question.

"I love you, Hinata.."


	7. Guilty Findings

**Disclaimer: **Naruto isn't mine, though if I close my eyes and pretend… nah still not happening. I hope everyone enjoying the last chapter and I'm sorry this one won't be as exciting, but it's moving along. Reviews as always are appreciated. Enjoy!

--sp.

* * *

**Risen- A Naruto fanfic  
Chapter Seven- Guilty Findings**

The young boy found himself at the doorway of a small house on the south side of Konoha. Behind the blue house were a few trees protecting a small garden, and the great gate of the village wrapping itself behind them. To his right ran the main road leading back to the center of town. To his left stood a few more houses and a small playground with a bench at the end of the block before the winding wall put an end to the street. Grandpa was really away from it all, and at the age he was now, Atsuke was pretty sure he didn't mind it.

He took a deep breath, and slowly knocked at the front door three times, each time getting progressively stronger. Then he waited. He heard birds chirping nearby, and the bark of a dog not too far away, but it was now that mere seconds seemed like minutes. Finally, Atsuke heard the knob turning and he took a cautious step back and the door slowly creaked open. In the shadows of the room stood a big, stocky man of at _least_ six feet tall. His red, now-graying hair was short and neatly combed back, his green eyes big and deep. He appeared to be a gentle giant.

Atsuke's voice became shaky, and he hid behind his arms, slightly intimidated by the man's size. He remembered his grandfather was big, but not _this_ big. Then again, he had only seen the man only one week in his entire life before now. "Gasuki Aidon..?" he hesitated.

The old man's grin widened slowly and warmly. "Little Atsu?" he questioned himself, rubbing his eyes to make sure it was really what he was looking at. Confirming what he saw, the door flew open and his arms outstretched and grabbed the visitor. "Atsu, my boy!!" Atsuke screamed as his grandfather lifted him a good distance in the air, letting go at one point before catching him and hugging him tightly. "What are you doing here, my boy?"

"I'm.. I'm on a mission, here in Konoha, and I just wanted to say hi while I was here." The boy's eyes brightened as he smiled back, but something wasn't right. He was confused..

_".. I'm wondering if she abandoned me, like grandpa did.."_

"Why don't you come in for some tea, boy?"

Atsuke nodded his head slowly, "Th-that would be g-g-great. Thank you," He walked in slowly as Aidon slapped a hand to his back and led him into the house.

The guest room was big and simple. The walls were plastered and white, and there was a lot of open space. Atsuke sat in the chair along the wall by the front door, scrutinizing the rest of the room. To his left, a wall with a fireplace and a mantel with picture frames and old photos across it. On each side of the fireplace rested a chair with more photographs hanging from the wall. On the opposite wall were two doors, one leading into the kitchen, the other leading into a hallway of some sorts. In between the doorways was a huge rocking chair. 'This must be where grandpa sits to relax.' To his right was a staircase leading up. His eyes continued downward. A finished wooden floor lay across the guest room, with a wooden coffee table in the center of the room. On the table were papers with pens and pencils, newspapers, and small, useful items such as a bottle-opener, scissors, and loose change. With the exception of the table, the rest of the room was spotless.

"Tea's done," yelled Aidon as he fixed Atsuke a cup from the kitchen, making a racket in the process. His grandfather was not visible from where he sat, so all he could imagine was his grandpa rustling about, clanging pots and glasses and whatnot. His footsteps were loud and the house seemed to shake ever so lightly as Aidon walked about. He came through the doorway with two glasses of green tea. "This'll do you good, my boy. You've had a long journey."

"Thanks," he got up and took the tea from his grandpa, smiling to himself. 'It's a wonder he gets through the doorway,' he joked to himself.

"Have a seat, just set the tea down anywhere on the table, Suke. Move some papers around or something, they're not all that important anyway." The boy did as he was told and placed his drink on the corner of the table closest to him.

"So what brings you all the way out here, my boy?" He stumbled over to his rocking chair and sat himself down slowly. "You're a long ways from Kyoko, that's for sure. Why would you be sent out on a mission to Konoha?"

"I'm accompanying Minaya Kaelu, a jounin of the Southern Continent, to find answers for a prophecy." Aidon stopped sipping his tea and looked carefully at his grandson. "We're looking for the one called the Fallen Angel."

"Fallen Angel, huh?" Aidon looked down into his tea.

"Yeah, you see.. I'm on a mission, myself. You see, I haven't heard from mom in a few months, and if I could find her, I'd really like to help her out. Since our client is offering a good amount of money, I figured I'd send it to my mother, wherever she is. She could use it more than I could, she's all alone now."

Aidon smiled. "That's very nice of you, Atsuke."

"And another thing," he kept going. He stood up and pumped his fist. "I'm going to find my brother!"

"Are you, now?"

"Yeah! I was actually.." his voiced tailed off. "I was hoping he'd be here, with you."

Aidon stood up painfully. The gleam in his eyes was gone. "My boy, your brother has been dead for almost twelve years. Your father sai-"

"My brother is _alive_!!" Atsuke took an aggressive step forward and his grandfather backed down from the argument. "I can't explain it, grandpa, but I can feel it. I just _know_ big brother is alive, and I know he's looking for me, for mom, for you, for everybody! He'll bring us all together one day, I know he will!" Aidon put a hand to the young boy's shoulder.

"Atsuke, you're a brave young boy." He offered a slight smile. "You've always been the adventurous type, from what I've heard." his smile quickly faded. "But if your brother _is_ alive, he could be anywhere. It's a great big world out there, Atsuke, and if he _did_ ever come here to keep me company, I would tell him to go anyway." Atsuke looked up at him, gasping. The old giant took a step forward and looked out his front window, up to the sky. "I'd tell him, 'You're young, you're restless, and you should go see the world, and don't let me be the one to stop you!'" He sat back down comfortably in his big chair. "When I was your age, Atsuke, I was able to travel up here to the northern continent, and I became a ninja in Konoha. I was a scout for the Hokage, and I was sent on delivery and message missions, and I got to see so much of the world, and it was glorious. I've met so many people, seen so many wondrous things." He looked down at his grandson and laughed. "I'd love nothing more than for you to have the same opportunity."

"Why'd you give it up, grandpa?" Atsuke asked in a curious, childish voice.

"Well," he said in a more serious tone of voice. "I've had a lot of my old academy classmates and good friends die on different missions, and every time, it hurt. There's an irreplaceable hole in your heart when a loved one passes on, and as much as we can try and remember the good times and think positively about their heroism, there's still nothing that can change the fact that they're not with us anymore." Atsuke frowned.

"Then," he continued. "I had met your grandmother, and back in the day, she was the most beee-autiful woman in Konoha, and we had spent a week long mission together, and we had gotten to know each other and we had fallen in love." He pointed to a picture on his mantel, the one right in the middle. "A year later, we had gotten married, and soon after we had two beautiful baby boys." He sounded so proud. "Your father and uncle Akaro were my treasures, and I had given up on being a ninja for a while. Then, when my sons were old enough to enroll in the academy, I offered to return and teach my boys, myself. Well they were each eight years old and when they had graduated I couldn't have been any prouder of them."

"And then what happened..?" Atsuke's eyes looked deeply into his grandfather's. Never had he been so interested in a story before!

"We were a pretty good team, back in the day. We had many successful missions and were part of a great thing in Konoha for about ten years. I even got to see my son get married. Akaro was a handsome young man and he found himself a lady, but.."

Atsuke's smile disappeared. "But what..?"

"On our way back from the Sand Village, we were caught off guard and attacked by members of a clan from the Valley of the Mist. Me and Oroyo were able to get away safely but Akaro was lost.. killed in battle, giving himself up so that your father and I could escape." A tear rolled down the old man's cheek. "It's a shame. His wife was with their child and he couldn't be around to see little Todei born. I told your father I was giving up on the ninja life and that I wanted him to leave. To go south. To start a new and promising life there. I wanted him to be safe and start a family."

Atsuke nodded. "You see?" Aidon added. "He did a good job as a father, I'd assume. You're a good kid, Atsuke. That's a credit to him and your mother."

Atsuke walked over to his chair by the door and took a sip of his tea. Then he sat down and stared at the floor, his mind still racing with questions. "Why was my father killed? What did he do?"

"Your father was a liberal person, and even though he was a skilled ninja, he was very involved with politics. When your family lived in Ratsuka, he had gotten in trouble with a government official, and was said to be part of an underground rebellion group. When his party was attacked, he was able to escape and he moved your family out to Ruoku."

"So.. when they found him..?" Atsuke knew what was coming, and Aidon nodded.

"He was killed by foot soldiers of General Riu Takeno for treason and plotting to use force to overtake the government. Luckily, your mother wasn't home when this happened, or she would've been killed, too., but now it seems that Takeno needs you." He walked over to his grandson and scruffed his hair up a bit. "It's not that he would have had you killed because you did something wrong. You would've been killed because of your father's wrong-doings, and now that he's out of the way, the General has no reason to hold any grudge against you."

"But, grandpa.. Mother said I couldn't return home. They'd kill me if I did." Atsuke was starting to piece together everything from his childhood, and he almost had all of the answers he wanted.

"She wanted you to stay safe, and if you went back, you would've suffered the bad reputation left for your family by your father." His eyes wandered out the window again. "I'm sure this is not what Oroyo wanted for you and for your mother, Atsuke, but it has to be taken in stride. Oroyo was a proud man and he always had a lot to say, and he just happened to pay for it."

Atsuke tapped his fingers lightly as he took small sips of his tea.

"Do you have any other questions, 'Suke?"

The boy looked up and tried to smile. "Not right now, grandpa. Thanks, again, for the tea."

Aidon smiled. "It's no problem. I'm going to pour myself another glass, I'll be right back." He picked himself up and walked into the kitchen with slow, heavy steps.

But Atsuke _did_ have questions. Why would his mother lie to him about Takeno and about his grandfather? Why did she not want to take him back? Something didn't add up in Atsuke's mind, and as he sat there, he tried to piece together a very different puzzle: the one of his childhood, of his family, and of his mission.

After a full day of intense work, the effort had finally paid off. Her eyes opened up to a bright light over her as she felt herself laid out across a bed. Her sensei looked down at her with a sly grin. "How do you feel?" Behind her, a team of relieved doctors sighed deeply at their latest success. An older doctor walked up to Tsunade with a chart.

"Her heart rate is almost back to normal. Her internal organs have almost fully recovered but the scar tissue is still suffering slight burning from the aftermath of the attack and the treatment." The doctor nodded his head in approval. "She should be back to normal by the end of the week."

"Excellent," Tsunade exclaimed. She looked down into her pupil's weary eyes and put her hand gently to the side of her head. "Are you okay, my dear? Can you hear me?" Sakura blinked and then nodded slowly. "You suffered a bad injury and your internal organs were damaged, but you'll be okay now." Sakura nodded. She _knew_ she got rocked bad but she didn't know the severity of it, exactly. "I've done everything I can to heal your body, and you'll be okay. It's a miracle you managed to survive getting here." Sakura's eyes widened. She almost _died_? Her eyes trailed down her body. She was topless, but she didn't even mind that. What she focused on was the bandage covering her stomach and the discolored skin in the area of the bandage.

"Tsunade-sama," she asked in a whisper. Her sensei had to lean in to hear what her student was saying. "How.. how did this happen..?"

"You're aware that the boy who attacked you was a master of raijutsu, correct?" She nodded slowly. "He had attacked you with a lightning bolt, and the magnitude of the blast sent the bolt right.." she swallowed heavily. "Right through your body." Sakura gasped and she went to put her hands to her mouth, but her hands were secured at the side of the bed. It was then that she felt a sharp burning sensation from her stomach and she yelped out in pain. The team of doctors immediately turned their heads to the young chuunin but Tsunade waved them off.

"Had Naruto not bandaged you, you certainly would've died from loss of blood."

"Naruto!" Her head shot up. "Where is he? Is he alright?? Naruto!!"

"Shhhh," Tsunade motioned with her arms to tell Sakura to calm down. "Relax, he's okay. He's in for treatment across the hall in the other recovery room"

Sakura now whispered again. "Is he alright?"

"He's being treated for temporal paralysis and numbness, sort of an after-effect to the shocks he took. He just needs to rest his body for a day or two and he'll be fine."

Sakura grew concerned, "and Hinata?"

Tsunade shook her head. "She's on her way now. We didn't give her details, I just sent a nurse to tell her that Naruto was hospitalized and that her presence would be appreciated. As for you, you'll be fine. I just can't have you doing any strenuous activity for a few days. The tissue is very fragile and if it tears, you'll be in serious danger. In a day or two you'll be walking around, functioning normally. But _no_ working out, no training, _nothing_ like that, got it?"

Sakura smiled in response. It made her glad to know her teacher cared so much for her. "Yes, ma'am." She whispered back. Tsunade smiled at her and ran her hand through her hair swiftly.

"That's my girl," she motioned the doctors out of the room, and she got all of her things together in her travel case and got ready to leave, herself.

"Wait, Tsunade!" She reached her hand up from the post. Tsunade walked over and unfastened the table belts so she could move freely again.

"Has.. has anybody come looking for me?" She was hoping Oroyo had come to see her.

"There was a visitor who came in a fit earlier in the procedure. Gasuki was his name." Sakura's smile brightened. "If he's to his word, then he's still down in the lobby waiting. I couldn't allow him to come in here because this is a delicate procedure. Besides," Tsunade laughed and reached into a case and threw a black t-shirt at her. "You might want this."

Sakura looked down at herself once and again and blushed, "Oh.. right, that." She laughed and threw the shirt over her. It was a couple of sizes too big for her because it was Tsunade's, but it did the job.

"Do you want me to send him up?"

"… Yes." Sakura nodded her head slowly, she didn't know what to expect. Tsunade nodded in return and walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. Her footsteps trailed off down the hall. Sakura took a moment to look around. There wasn't anything special about this particular room, it just looked like any old recovery station. She looked at her right arm. On her inner wrist was a patch hooked up to a small machine that was reading out blood pressure and bpm stats. Hers were normal, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She wondered how Oroyo would react when he saw her. Was he that worried?

"I hope he's alright with everything that happened." She told herself. "He's already had to deal with a lot and it's only his second day here." She rolled her shoulders forward a couple of times, then stretched her arms out very slowly and then up above her head. She giggled and fixed her shirt, pulling the front end of her collar as far forward as possible, seeing how much she could get away with. Luckily for her, it only went a few inches below her chin, not revealing anything. She laughed to herself, "It's okay, boy." She shook her head, grinning. "Not much to see anyway."

A few minutes rolled by before Oroyo came running into the run. He had nearly face planted into the door but was able to keep his balance and slide the door open. Sakura sat up in the bed, her daydreaming interrupted by her desired visitor. His eyes widened looking at her again. He thought she was beautiful, even now.

'Sakura,' he thought to himself. 'I'm sorry I had to do this.' He walked into the room, his left arm behind his back and when he reached her bed, he put his arm in front of him, holding a vase with a single red rose in it.

"This is for you, Sakura-Chan."

Her eyes were fixed on the rose. _That was so sweet!_ "Aww, thank you, Oroyo-kun! That's so very nice of you." She smiled warmly and placed it on the small bedside table.

"It's the least I can do. I heard about what happened." She nodded slowly, frowning.

"We failed the mission," she reminded herself.

"But you're alive, and that's what's most important." He sat down on the bed along side her. "Everyone thought you were a goner. I was so scared I would've lost you already."

Sakura giggled and brushed his cheek lightly. "You barely know me, Oroyo." She smiled warmed and pat his cheek. "You wouldn't miss me already."

"You don't know that for sure. I've been a traveler all my life, it's nice to stop and," he put his hand gently to her chin. "Smell the roses."

Sakura blushed. "Well, I guess you could say you came at a bad time. It's not like I was _expecting_ this to happen to me. I'm just sorry you have to see me like this."

Kaelu's eyes traveled down her body to her stomach. He saw the bandage, with spotches of blood already seeping through in the middle. His stomach began to turn and twist and he felt sick to himself. Sick _of_ himself. He had almost _killed_ her. This was the same girl who took him around town and made him feel at home, something he had rarely ever felt in his life, and he had almost killed her, and it was all because of this damned mission.

Kaelu began to tremble, "I'm sorry, Sakura."

"Hmm?" She slowly sat herself up and tilted her head. "What are you sorry for? You didn't nothing wrong, sweetie. Things just happen in life. As shinobi, we struggle between the lines of life and death all the time. You should know that."

"I do, Sakura, it's just." He lowered his head. "I've been through more than you could imagine. It's hard for me to explain."

She nodded, "Well I'm sure you'll tell me over time. Right now," she took his hand and squeezed it gently, to his surprise. "I'm just so happy you came. I've been thinking about you since I've woken up."

Oroyo hid his head from her even more. His cheek were a light red blush. In truth, he had been thinking about what he had done _since_ he did it. He didn't worry about Atsuke, the Angel or this bloody mission. He had prayed to the heavens that she'd live. His eyes raised up to meet hers, and he smiled in return.

'This couldn't be right,' he said to himself. 'This shouldn't happen.'

"I guess I'm going to have to protect you next time," he joked. She tilted his head up so he wasn't looking away anymore.

"I don't need a man to protect _me_. I can take care of myself."

He put his hand to her chin, "Which is why you come back with a hole in your stomach?"

She inched closer to him. "It could've been worse."

He tilted his head and lifted her chin towards him. "How could you say that when the only thing left was death?"

She closed her eyes and leaned towards him, mere inches away. "I might've walked away with a hole in my heart."

"Did you?" He closed his eyes and inched closer.

"You tell me," she whispered, and then finally closed the gap between them as they shared their first kiss. She inhaled deeply through her body, taking in the moment as much as she could. Oroyo was doing the same as he wrapped his arm gently around Sakura.

'His lips are so soft!' She yelled out in her mind. She shivered slightly and put her hand over Oroyo's, which still held her chin in place. They had remained motionless for a few seconds when Sakura parted the kiss, but didn't move away. She stayed closed and slowly opened her eyes and gazed into her sweetheart's, and he looked lovingly into hers. She closed her eyes again and kissed him softly a couple of times in succession. Oroyo's hand moved up her cheek and behind her ear to the back of her neck. Sakura shivered and ran her hand down his cheek as his other hand ran down her back.

Sakura had never in her wildest dreams expected this to _actually_ happen, but now that it was, she wanted it. Badly. She held the grip tightly still on her shirt. They continued to kiss, their lips parting more and more with each lock. Oroyo ran his hand halfway down her back, stopping just above her wound, his index finger tracing down her spine until he had gone over the ridge of her pulled-up shirt and was now along her bare back. She gasped and let go of her shirt, letting it drop _over_ his hand. He blushed, getting the message, and he ran his fingers up and down her back with the lightest tough. Her body quivered her breathing picked up. She began to kiss him wildly, each of their mouths practically wide open. She reached up and put her hands to his cheek and caressed him gently, running her hands down his neck, across his collarbone and to his shoulders.

It was when her right hand met his left shoulder than the moment had to be halted. A sudden shock and pain shot down Kaelu's arm and through the rest of his body, and he broke the kiss, darting his arm back and away from Sakura. He reached for his shoulder and gripped at it tightly, trying to compress the pain. He cringed and looked away from her, trying to hide it as much as possible, though even he knew _he_ was doing a horrible job.

"What's wrong?" She leaned back, giving him space, though she had a very concerned look on her face.

'It's no-nothing." He hid the pain the best he could. He had closed the wound with his chakra and kept it wrapped so it wouldn't reopen, but it was still tender and her slightest touch was enough to have it react on him.

_He hid himself in the safety of the trees of the nearby forest after replicating himself out of danger's way. He still bled profusely from his shoulder. Luckily his jutsu enabled him to not leave a trail of blood._

"Shit, I'm almost at my limit." He breathed heavily, calculating if he would have enough chakra to heal himself and get back to Konoha. It would be tough, but he knew it had to be done. The electricity began to flow through his body, though now very painful because some metal chips from the kunai had entered his bloodstream,.

He knew this would be a very difficult process, and right now, the only thing on his mind wasn't survival, but Sakura. He still saw the flash of lightning in his mind, and he saw her slowly fall to the ground. He felt hopeless, and at the same time, hopeful. He knew he had to do this for her, so that he could get back and see her again. Before it's too late…

"Are you sure,?" She asked quietly. "You're hurt, Oroyo. Let me help you."

"No," he interjected. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. You worry about getting better, yourself." He smiled. "I don't want to have to keep visiting you here. I'm only in town a week, we still have more walks we need to take. He shook his off and sat back down next to her. She smiled back at him as he planted a light kiss on her soft lips.

"Oroyo," she twiddled her fingers shyfully. "Do you think you could take me to Naruto's room? I mean, if it's not too much trouble. I heard he's doing alright and I just wanted to check and see how he actually was."

Kaelu looked at her and nodded. "I guess I could carry you over." He smirked, "what am I getting out of it?" Sakura knew what answer he probably had wanted. She leaned forward and planted a long, loving kiss upon his lips.

"You just got it."

Naruto was infamous for sleeping—a lot. He had slept through countless tests, meetings, missions, training sessions and almost the final chuunin exam. Now, even after a full recovery from a devastating attack on his team, Uzumaki Naruto was sleeping it all away.

And in front of the one person who one day wanted to sleep by his side.

Hyuuga Hinata had waited for him to awaken since the moment she had found out he was hospitalized. Her heart skipped a beat when she found out, and she was on the verge of tears, but she had controlled herself, as she told herself she would, and she made her way calmly to the hospital, where she had sat, by Naruto's side, in the recovery room since the moment he was placed there.

She had asked herself over and over how something so terrible could happen to Naruto, to _her_ Naruto-kun. For so long had she waited for his first kiss to be hers, and now, all she hoped that he would soon wake up from my comatose state. She knew he would be alright physically, but would he be the same? Would the defeat hurt his pride and scar his personality. She feared the worst, and to her, it was rightfully so. She loved Naruto with all her heart.

Hinata trembled softly over his body and she reached over and took his hand, and held it in hers. "Naruto-kun," she said to him. The tears began to form in her eyes.

"I don't know if you can hear me, Naruto-kun, but.." she took a deep breath and prepared herself. "Naruto, all these years you were away, I couldn't shake my mind off of you. I thought about you every day, and I trained myself harder and harder so that I could become stronger. I wanted to be stronger for you, Naruto. You see, you've been my reason to keep going, Naruto. You've been my motivation, my hope, and.. my dream. I dream.. I dream to be with _you_, Naruto."

She fumbled her words continuously, but instead of hiding behind her hands, instead, she held Naruto's hands in them. The door opened behind her and Oroyo stood in the doorway with Sakura in his arms. Hinata didn't even notice or even hear the door open behind her. She caressed Uzumaki's lifeless hand and pressed forward.

"Naruto, I've never told you this before.. but.. I love you, Uzumaki Naruto. I love you more than anything else in the world. You've always been there for me, and you've always given me a reason to keep going in my training, in my focus, in life. You're worth living, Naruto!" Her tears began to stream like rivers down her cheeks. "I love you with all my heart, Naruto-kun, and I hope that you feel the same way about me! I'd do anything for you." Sakura listened to Hinata's words deeply and began to tear, herself. She turned her head away from her best friend and dug it into Oroyo's chest. Oroyo held her tightly as he looked on at the touching scene.

"These hands are yours to hold, Naruto." She squeezed his hand tightly then rose it to her cheek and nuzzled it softly. "These lips, they're yours to meet, and I.." she sobbed deeply. "I'm here to love, Naruto. I promise I will be here when you awaken." She flung herself forward onto his chest and cried. "Naruto-kuuun!"

Oroyo felt a slight tug at his shirt, and he peered down to see Sakura crying into it. She was touched by her friend's confession and she sobbed quietly behind Hinata so that she wouldn't hear her. Oroyo rocked the girl in his arms slowly, then he looked over at Hinata again.

'Poor girl,' he thought to himself. 'I think I understand how she feels, to lose someone who you truly care about.'

"Let's go," he whispered to Sakura and turned to walk out of the room when a bright light caught his eye. He turned his attention back to Hinata, whose body was now emitting a bright purple energy. The light emitted from her entire body, rising about her and dissipating into the air above her. The glow seemed to sparkle and shine like stars in a clear night sky.

Sakura was still crying to herself into Oroyo's shirt, and she did not see this amazing display, but Oroyo was all eyes on the young romantic. His jaw dropped slightly, and he blinked a few times to make sure he was seeing all of this right.

He spoke to himself with a tone of sheer amazement.

"It is love that will…"

His eyes widened tremendously.

"Did you say something?" Sakura asked, looking up at him with moist eyes.

He didn't answer. He couldn't answer. All he could do was stare..

.. At _his_ answer..  
_________________________________________


	8. Risk and Reward

Disclaimer: I own Naruto. No, I'm serious. You rolled a six and you landed on my Naruto with two hotels. Pay up. =P

Actually, no I don't own Naruto. The respective writers and creators and artists due, props to them.

To all my readers, thank you., I'm glad you've stuck with me this far. We're approaching the half-way point of the story and I'd love to hear your ideas about what you think will happen next so feel free to read, ask me questions and ask yourselves questions. Most of all, enjoy! This is for all of the Naruto (and anime) fans out there!

--Skye

* * *

**Risen- A Naruto fanfic  
Chapter Eight- Risk and Reward**

"Paralyzed?" That word was so harsh, so bitter, that it left a sour taste in Sakura's mouth when she heard her sensei gravely pronounce it to her. Oroyo looked at the floor, his eyes fixed away from the powerful woman in front of him. He didn't feel bad about what he had done in the least: he had a job to do and Kakashi had simply gotten in his way. If only certain girls hadn't made it so difficult for him... or... well... maybe he didn't mind that all too much after all.

"There must be some mistake," he ran with it, sounding distraught over the whole situation. Tsunade could only offer a shake of her head.

"The damage done to his spine was mind boggling. He had suffered the same temporal paralysis as Naruto, though the second strike was _also_ a direct hit." She turned away from the two young shinobi and stepped back towards her medical office on the second floor of the hospital. She rested her hands on the windowsill and peered out into the streets. The sun was beginning its descent down the horizon in the west; a long and frightening day of work for Tsunade was coming to an end, and even she knew _this_ may only be the beginning.

"Sure we were able to treat the burns on the lesser affected areas of his body. In _that_ aspect, he'll be fine. But both his spine and surrounding muscle tissue were horribly electrocuted and burned, and in some places, parts of the spine were chipped away and destroyed by the sheer magnitude of the heat. Turned to ash within his own body.." Tsunade trailed off and shook her head, sadly. Sakura didn't know what to say. She gripped Oroyo's hand tighter and she slouched back further in her chair, causing Oroyo to look up and check on her. She wasn't completely capable of walking just yet, so he still carried her about the hospital, but she had looked more lively in the past hour, since after dinner. Until now.

"There is an option of reconstructive surgery on his spine and spinal cord," the Godaime suggested, which caught the attention of the two teenagers with her. "It's a long and dangerous procedure, though, and it takes absolute precision and sheer will of discipline and patience of both the medical staff and the victim."

"How would that be done?" Sakura asked curiously.

"First, we would need to tranquilize the victim and inject him with a chemical called Corozine, which kills the muscles around the injection. The victim's back is then opened up and the dead muscle tissue must be shifted so that the spine is clearly visible." Sakura grimaced. This made her slightly sick to her stomach, especially because she knew Tsunade was talking about Kakashi-sensei.

"Chakra would be dispensed into the victim's spinal cord, making the bone stronger and sturdier so that it may be rebuilt upon. The spine, piece by piece, is reconstructed carefully until it is as close to normal state as it can be. Once complete, a skilled medical ninja must use the correct amount and flow of chakra to revive the muscle tissue and have it function correctly. Then, the excess chakra from the spinal cord is removed, and the patient is sewn back up and kept under critical care." Tsunade turned her head towards her student. "It's a very risky procedure."

"What.." Oroyo began to ask. "What percentage of success are we talking?"

Tsunade looked at the ground. "Less than twenty, if that." Sakura gasped and put her hands to her mouth in shock. "There are so many things that could go wrong in this operation, many of which would either permanently damage Kakashi's body or even kill him."

"Well, what exactly could go wrong?" Sakura demanded an explanation.

"First, there's the muscle tissue. If it can't be revived correctly then the tissue would be merely scar tissue and wouldn't function. The patient would basically be bed-ridden for lack of strength to move. Then, there's the spinal cord itself. Too much chakra input may overload the passageways and destroy the flow from the base outward, paralyzing the victim." Tsunade pressed on. "The patient must have the _will_ to survive an operation like this. If at any point his stress or anxiety rises dramatically at any point, the chakra flow will be disrupted, and may cause disruption or, even worse, implosions within the chakra system. Because so much healing chakra is going to be injected into him, his flow needs to be held as minimal as possible."

Sakura nodded her head. She understood completely the severity of the situation, but she still continued with questioning. She still wasn't convinced that Kakashi had so little a percentage.

"Is there any way a genjutsu could be used? Maybe if we keep him awake during the procedure, but, instead, in a soothing trance or state of mind, maybe it would lower the risk."

Oroyo added, "We would need someone skilled enough to hold the genjutsu through the entire procedure." Tsunade's eyes met the young traveler's. "Perhaps if you held the genjutsu while the rest of your team operated, it'd be most effective. You are the Hokage, are you not?"

Tsunade's glare darkened in the direction of Oroyo. This was a challenge!

"Hatake Kakashi is under _my_ supervision." Tsunade raised her voice. "I will not allow a warrior like him to die under my watch." She pointed a finger harshly at Oroyo. "Do _not_ question my power, rookie."

Rookie?! It took all of his will power not to charge at the old woman right this instant.

"Sakura!"

The young girl immediately responded to her teacher's familiar call. "Yes, ma'am!"

"Take Hinata home, and make sure she arrives to the safety of Neji. She will receive word the moment Naruto awakens. After that, you may go home and get some rest. And please, stay out of trouble. YOU!" She pointed to Oroyo, who immediately stood up and hesitantly acknowledged Tsunade. "Accompany Sakura in case she needs assistance. If you dare hurt her or Hinata or anybody, I _will_ have your arms torn from your body. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." He nodded his head slowly and leaned over to pick up Sakura in his arms when Tsunade blew right past them and out of the office.

"Where are you going?" Sakura asked, turning her head to the door and her sensei.

Tsunade turned with a quick smirk before disappearing, "I have a patient to save."

It was a quiet walk home that seemed like it took hours, despite it only being down the road. Hinata was in no rush to go home, she would much rather be by Naruto's side, but orders were orders, and Tsunade _did_ say he'd probably be asleep for another day or so. She decided that doctor knew best and she'd take her word for it. Either way, the familiar sight of home wasn't all too enthralling for the love-struck teenager. She kept her head low as she walked along side Oroyo, who aided Sakura down the street, holding her carefully. She was back on her feet, though she needed to walk slowly with the aid of Oroyo. Being as independent as she had been, she didn't want to have someone need to carry her all over the place.

"Cheer up, honey," Sakura reached and placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "He'll be alright, you know it."

"Yes, I know," she replied shyly. "I just can't help but worry. I mean, I know he didn't get as roughed up as you and Kakashi did, no offense."

"None taken." Sakura shrugged the comment off.

"Anyway," Hinata continued. "I guess I just fear the worst, sometimes, like he won't wake up, or that he'll be really hurt or that he'll change."

"Why would you think he'd change?" Sakura questioned her friend.

"Being a ninja means so much to him, and if he ever lost that, I don't even want to think what would happen to his spirit. He has so much energy, it would be terrible if he never got to use it."

Sakura smiled, "So that's what you fell in love with?"

Hinata blushed and tapped her fingers together. "There's so much more than just that, I couldn't even begin to explain. His eyes, his smile, oh, I could just go on and on." Sakura smiled warmly; she was touched by her friend's emotions.

"Well, I think it's really sweet. You're a wonderful girl, Hinata. I'm sure Naruto's going to give you the best."

"What do you mean, 'going to give me?' What do you know that I don't?" Hinata snapped her head to the left, her eyes fixed on Sakura's. Sakura immediately looked away, realizing she might have slipped too much information.

"Nothing, sweetie. Don't worry about it." Hinata looked concerned. "Oh, don't worry, seriously! It's nothing bad, I promise. Just, when you finally do talk to him, ask him how he feels."

Hinata's eyes returned to the dirt road below her, slightly frowning as she imagined confessing her love to Naruto.

"Trust me, you won't be disappointed." She pat Hinata on the back and continue to limp forward, little by little. Oroyo kept out of the conversation and focused only on keeping Sakura on her feet. He was truly exhausted and he hadn't slept since the boat ride, and even the rest then was questionable.

The Hyuuga community was now merely a couple of houses away. The evening shade began to dominate the sky as stars swept themselves into view. The moonlit skies grew darker and darker. Hinata took a few steps ahead of the others and turned to face them.

"I should be alright from here, Sakura." She motioned down the street to the left. "I know you live that way, so you can just go. Thank you for escorting me home." Hinata bowed her head.

"Are you sure," Sakura insisted. "I mean, are you going to be alright at home?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Hinata adjusted her shirt at the shoulders to catch a quick breeze in the air. "If anything happens, I have Neji to protect me."

"Neji?" Oroyo spoke up, looking over at Sakura for an answer.

"Her cousin," she explained, then turned back to Hinata. "Alright, then. Let me know how you are sometime tomorrow morning. Again, if we hear anything on Naruto, you'll know immediately."

"Thanks again so much," She smiled and bowed her head. Sakura smiled back, and Hinata turned and walked quickly towards her home. Sakura and Oroyo stayed to watch her go through the entrance, then they went down the side street towards Sakura's house.

All around, citizens were beginning to turn on the lamps and street lights as the warm summer evening progressed. They walked very slowly towards Sakura's house as a usually ten-minute walk took over a half an hour. Neither of them complained though as they made the entire trip hand in hand.

"I can't stop thinking about Hinata," Oroyo said softly. "She has to be a wreck over what happened to Naruto, you know? I wouldn't want anything to happen to her."

"Don't worry so much," Sakura smiled and rustled his hair a bit. "Neji's with her, and he'll protect her with his life." Sakura's eyes stayed on Oroyo. "Neji and Hinata share a close bond, and over the last couple of years, they've been helping each other during their times of need, especially Neji."

"Why Neji?" Oroyo asked.

"Hinata's been through a very rough time," Sakura sighed. "Me and the other girls have done all we could to try and cheer her up, but we can only do so much. Neji has really helped out and has really protected Hinata and helped her through her troubles. We owe a lot to that kid," she smiled and rested her head on his chest as they walked. Her house was only a few feet away.

"I'm glad to hear that she's well supported, but I suppose Naruto being home is just what she needed." Oroyo's assumption got a heavy nod from Sakura.

"Without a doubt," she added. "Naruto is what she's been missing these past couple of years. Now that he's back, he may be able to help her all by himself." She giggled to herself, "we just have to wake him up, first."

Oroyo laughed with her as they came to a stop at her front door.

"I'll be okay from here, honey," she said softly. 'Honey' through Oroyo a little off guard, but he let go out her hand as she turned to face him.

"Well, today was certainly interesting." He put his hand behind his head. "I'm glad you're alright, though. You scared me, I'm not going to lie."

"You're such a worry-wart." Sakura playfully slapped him lightly across his cheek. "I'm a big girl, I know what I get myself into. It's a risk I'm willing to take, and as long as I can fight, I'll never stop taking it."

Oroyo smiled. "You're a proud person, Sakura. Just, be careful." He smirked again. Sakura sighed and shook her head, then laughed.

"Alright, alright. I'll be more careful." She reached up and flung her arms over his shoulders and embraced him tightly. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"At some point," he answered. "I'm here on vacation with my brother, so it might be nice if I spent some more time with him."

"Understandable," she said. She twirled her index finger through his hair and he shivered lightly. "Just find me if you don't have anything else to do."

He smirked and planted a light kiss on her lips. "You know I will," He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. Her hands went down his back and gripped tightly and she squeezed herself against him, her head buried in his chest, the biggest grin on her face.

"Good-night, Sakura-chan."

She looked up at him with her bright green eyes, and brushed her hand down his cheek. "Good-night, Oroyo-kun," she leaned forward and got what she wanted: a good-night kiss. They closed their eyes and embraced each other by their necks, holding the kiss for what seemed to be long into the night. After a good minute, Sakura broke the kiss and stepped back towards her doorway.

"Well, I should get going, it's late."

"Yeah, me too."

She made an adorable little pouty face and held her arms at her chest.

"What is it, Sakura?" Oroyo asked. Sakura responded with a sad-puppy frown and she put her index finger to her lips, pointing at them. Oroyo laughed to himself, and took a step forward and gave her one last kiss for the night. She turned red and smiled warmly.

"Good-night, handsome." She reached behind her and opened the door, then blew one final kiss at him before twirling herself around into the doorway and out of sight into the darkness of the house. He watched as her silhouette backed away and the door gently came to a shut, the knob clicking upon closing.

".. Good-night, Sakura." he smiled, then turned back towards the street and he continued down the road they came on. Atsuke's house was all the way down the end of the road, then a quick right and then a left into a dead end in the back of the village. He knew walking might take him a little while to get there, but he was in no real rush to get anywhere, so he took his time.

It took him about twenty minutes to reach the small, blue house. He eyed it carefully, and walked around it, seeing the playground and seeing the garden in the back. He strolled over to the garden and walked the small dirt path leading through it. His eyes grazed over all of the flowers. He looked up, and watched the young trees blow gentle in the wind. He turned and faced away from the house and walked over to the massive wall that surrounded the village, which was only a few feet behind the garden. He placed his hand gently on it and stopped there.

Kaelu's mind began to race through everything he had seen today. He thought about Sakura and Naruto, Hinata and her mysteries, this Neji character, Kakashi, Tsunade, everything.

"Hyuuga Hinata.." he told himself. His eyes were still fixed on the wall. "Such a sweet girl, she probably doesn't even have a clue of the power she possesses." He shook his head. "I do have a job to do, here, though. She's now my mission."

_"good-night, handsome."_

"Sakura-chan," she shook the thoughts out of his hand again, "No, I have to focus. Damnit, Kaelu, focus! This isn't a vacation. There's five days left before Shiro and his crew come to fetch the findings. I have to keep myself healthy and concentrate on what needs to be done." He stayed quiet and unmoving a moment as he tried to organize his thoughts. Then, a voice boomed behind him.

"Even the great ninjas find themselves distracted at one point or another." Kaelu quickly turned around and saw a big, older man standing in the doorway on the other side of the garden. He stood there, cup of tea in hand, dressed in a blue T-shirt and black slacks. His huge hands made the cup look like a medicine cap, and Kaelu was quite amazed by the man's size. Even in all of his trainings he had never seen somebody so.. so big! Kaelu immediately assumed it was Atsuke's grandfather.

"Gasuki Aidon, am I right?"

The old man nodded his head. "I see little Atsu has told you about me, Kaelu." Kaelu's eyes widened. Aidon retorted, "Don't act so surprised, boy. Atsuke has already told me about you and the mission you two are on. Atsuke's already asleep upstairs in the guest room. There's another bed made in there if you want to get comfortable." Aidon kept a stern look about him. Kaelu wondered if there was something questionable Aidon had known that he was keeping rigid with him.

"I'm not all too tired, yet. Thank you, though." Kaelu's eyes wandered back to the flowers.

"It's going to be a long week, my boy. Would you like a cup of tea?"

Kaelu shook his head, "I'll be fine, thank you."

"Have you found anything?"

Kaelu responded quietly. "I can't tell you that."

"It's funny they picked _you_ for this mission." Aidon began to pace around the garden, sipping his tea. "You'd figure it's a win-win situation for those power-hungry sons-of-bitches."

"Win-win? What are you talking about?" Kaelu snapped back at Aidon, his eyes following his pacing carefully.

"Quite simple, my boy. All these years you were accused of being the prophecy they feared would destroy them. Now they've figured out that it isn't the case."

"They?" Kaelu asked. "Who's they?"

"The government officials. The General and his men. They now have reason to believe that the Angel might be of service to them. So they sent you, Minaya Kaelu, the supposed "Fallen Angel," to go on this mission to seek out evidence on the Northern Continent."

Kaelu began to finally understand. He swallowed hard, leaving a pain in his throat as the shadow of the former ninja bellowed around him.

"Kaelu," Aidon said comfortingly. "They sent _you_ to solidify their assumptions. You see, by finding the Angel, they could begin experimenting with it and drawing power from it to meet their needs. Through this process, they knew you would be up here in Konoha, dissecting the evidence through process of elimination."

"And if I didn't find it?"

The old man shook his head. "Then they would still have every reason to believe it was you, and then Takeno and his men would probably take you into their custody." Kaelu gasped, his jaw hung open. His breathing paused a split second as his eyes locked on Aidon, now standing firmly in place.

"If you found the Angel, then they have what they wanted and they'd let you go with your earnings. If you didn't find the Angel, they still have an incredible source of power in you that they would abuse and manipulate. Not only that," he took two paces to the left and then looked back at Kaelu.

".. you would've done their dirty work for them by infiltrating and destroying a village in the North. They have nothing to complain about down there."

Kaelu was frozen in time. He didn't know what to think, or feel, or anything.

Aidon shook his head. "It's unfortunate, Kaelu," he continued. "The war on the North is about to continue, after all these years," The old man sighed and walked up to the boy. He put his huge hand onto his shoulder, dwarfing the young jounin. "And you're their pawn, and you didn't even know it."

"I know about everything, old man!" He broke free from the grandfather's hold. He clenched his fists tightly.

"Only since the mission began," Aidon responded. "From what I know, you've been hidden this information since the day you left home."

"Don't talk to me about my personal life!" Kaelu shouted. Static surrounded his right hand as his fist began to glow with a bright chakra aura. Aidon put his hands up to his chest.

"I'm not out to get you, my boy, relax." Kaelu refused to let his guard down, but the old man walked up to him slowly and put both his hands on each of Kaelu's shoulders, and the boy released the chakra and stared up at the great figure.

"I'm not going to say anything to anyone, you came here on a mission, it's your destiny. Do what you have to do." Aidon's words echoed through his mind as Kaelu looked down at the ground, ashamed of himself.

"I just feel so angry," Kaelu confessed. "I had no idea they were using me, but now that I know about my past, it makes so much sense."

Aidon pat his back, "If you find the Angel, then you find it. But do the right thing, my boy. If you know that this will lead to war, then _do the right thing_. Honor and protect yourself and those you love. Little Atsuke looks up to you, Kaelu," Kaelu looked into the man's eyes surprised he would say that.

'Atsuke looks up to me?' he thought to himself. He shook his head. "I'm letting him down, old man. The poor kid's had a rough life, from what he told me." He walked behind the old man and headed up the garden path very slowly. "He might be safe if he lived here with you, from now on."

"You're welcome yourself, you know." Kaelu just looked at the ground, not responding to Aidon's suggestion. "Nobody says you have to go back, you know. Any friend of Atsuke's is a friend of mine, and you're welcome here."

"Thanks but," Kaleu's mind raced with hundred of thoughts, the most prominent being Aidon's words from earlier.

_".. and you're their pawn.."_

He took a deep breath. "I have a job to do." He continued walking through the garden and to the back door. "Thank you, though, for your hospitality."

"Kaelu!" He called out just before the young man entered the house. Kaelu's his turned back slowly.

"Yes?"

"Be careful."

Kaelu grinned slightly. "Thank you." He nodded and turned back, and then into the house. Aidon watched as he sipped the last of his tea.

"You're a good kid." He smiled and choked back a tear. He looked up to the sky. "He's a good kid, Oroyo. They both are." He watched as Kaelu's silhouette from inside the house was finally out of sight as he heard the footsteps going upstairs, leading to the guest room.

Aidon coughed for a few seconds and pounded his hand at his chest. He doubled over in pain as his heavy coughing echoed through the night. He stopped and took a deep breath, and sighed. He looked up to the dark guest room window and wiped a single tear from his eye.

"They're all I have left…"

_"Naruto," a voice echoed inside his head._

_'Who's there? Hinata?'_

_"Naruto, my dream." The familiar voice echoed louder._

_'Hinata, it's me! Naruto! What is it!!' He wasn't awake, he knew this had to be a dream, though it seemed so real. Everything was black._

_"Find me, Naruto."_

_ 'Hinata,' even in sleep, he struggled with himself. 'Can you hear me?'_

_ "Naruto-kun.."_

_ 'Hinata, I… I love you, Hinata! Please, hear me.'_

_ But there was no response. An eerie calm followed as the blackness now became cold and unforgiving._

_ 'Hinata,' he said to himself. 'I love you, I know I do. I want to see you again..'_

_ "Naruto.." the echo returned. It was her voice. "I have something I want to tell you, my dear Naruto-kun.."_

_ 'Hinata! What is it?'_

_ "Naruto-kun.." The voice trailed off. He yelled out desperately so not to lose her again._

_ 'Hinata!! Don't leave!'_

_Her voice continued to echo his name, but gradually got softer and softer until it vanished into nothingness. Naruto called out her name to himself one last time before giving in to the silence that now surrounded him once again._

_'I will tell you one day..' he promised himself. Then a flash of light approached him at incredible speed. In a matter of seconds, the darkness was gone and he was overtaken by this brilliance that soared at him._

He finished his sentence as his eyes opened to an empty recovery room.

"Believe it."

He stared at the ceiling as the only things keeping him company were the chirping of crickets outside and the rusting of the sheet made by the young boy rolling about in the bed next to his. Atsuke, even in his sleep, seemed to make a big commotion.

"The kid looks up to me," Kaelu said to himself, staring up at the white ceiling, his eyes following slight cracks in the paint and following them down as far as they led. As tired as he was, he couldn't get himself to sleep this night. All of these voices echoed in his mind..

_"He will tear the villages apart, killing whoever he needs in order to provoke the forces of the Angel.."_

"Maybe he knows you're the best ninja on the Southern Continent!"

"..the medical research department wishes to have the child exterminated.."

"I don't need a man to protect me.. I can take care of myself.."

"..you would've done their dirty work for them by infiltrating and destroying Konoha.."

Kaelu was truly angered by this whole situation. He was in for far more than he had bargained for, but now that he was here, and living it, he had to make due. He had awakened to a side of himself he had never felt before. The chakra rushed through his body as adrenaline kicked up a notch. His thoughts blurred about his mind like crazy. Everyone's voices spoke out to him at once: Sakura's, Tsunade's, Naruto's, Shiro's, everybody he had encountered! The voice's grew louder and louder, becoming more agitating and angry the louder they got. He closed his eyes tightly and put his hands to his ears as if trying to not hear the screaming going on in his mind.

The deafening boomings of their voices suddenly went silent as he heard Sakura's voice speaking out softly to him.

_".. he has really protected her.."_

His eyes shot open, glowing a frightening, cold blue aura, his natural eyes beaming even through the layer of disguise.

"Hyuuga… Neji…"  
__________________________________________________________


	9. A Sunset Not Seen

Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Naruto. I can only hope to contain it… no, that doesn't fit that opening line at all. Anyway, those famous storyliners and artists own Naruto, but I wish I did. P

Moving on, we're now entering the juicy part of the story, and I may not be updating every week, as it is getting more and more complicated to be certain of what exactly I want to express on paper.. It may become a week and a half to two weeks per chapter, but I'll try not to let it go any longer than that! Just keep reading and keep enjoying it as much as I am writing this.

sp.

* * *

**A Sunset Not Seen**

The rain had ceased over the course of the afternoon, but the layer of clouds covering the usually-bright summer skies of Konoha remained. The storm came and went very suddenly, and the humid air was now filled with birds chirping, returning to the trees from their shelters. The sun desperately tried to break through the covering, and though small, soft rays of sunlight occasional touched down to the Earth, the clouds would not back down.

It had been a difficult time for the young jounin, who was now on his way back home after a quick and easy mission. Not only has he struggled with the ravaged emotions of his younger cousin, but now he had to dismiss her for the day while his counter-part and friend, and his cousin's true love, lay hospitalized, drifting in and out of sleep.

_"Hyuuga Neji?" Neji turned to see one of the attendants at the entrance of his community as he was stepping out to leave._

_"Uzumaki Naruto had awoken briefly around three this morning, but a few moments after, an aftershock had put him back to sleep. He was injected with a dose of antalysis, though that should keep him asleep until tonight. When he wakes up, the shocks should be gone and Naruto would be close to his full recovery._

_Neji nodded his head slowly, thinking about his cousin and what worried must be going through her head, even in sleep. "So this is merely a safety precaution?"_

_"Yes. Shall I tell Hinata?"_

_He thought for a moment, and then shook his head. "Wait until he wakes up. She's worried enough without needing to know he's still hurting."_

_The nurse nodded, "Alright then." And turned back to the hospital and began her slow walk back to work.._

It was a shame that the kid had fallen asleep as he was leaving. He would awaken again soon enough much to the delight of his romancer. Neji understood that though the Kyuubi may heal his wounds far faster than any normal body system, sleep was _still_ the best remedy, and Naruto know how to sleep.

He had assumed Naruto would stay asleep most of the day, so he had no qualms in taking this mission, considering it was the one left for Team Seven earlier in the week. Tsunade had requested he take the necklace to Kotoya himself, and, being a skilled user of the Byakugan, it wasn't too hard for him to stay out of trouble while about the city. He had left before dawn, while Hinata was still asleep, and he had planned to be back early in the evening in hopes that Naruto had still not awoken. So far, he had been right on schedule, and he couldn't have asked for better conditions. The covering kept the usually-scorching plains cool, so he was able to take a direct route to the city, and the rains on the way back kept his body cool and hydrated.

He stopped in the branch of a tall forest tree as he heard thunder rumble across the woods, coming from the direction of Konoha. "The storm must be heading west and through the village, now," he said to himself. He continued to jump from branch to branch, keeping with the cool winds as droplets of rain scattered once again, through the leaves, across the ground, forming small puddles in the dirt. A flash of lightning beamed from in front of him, followed by the roar of thunder a few seconds later. The sound of the rain and the thunder was soothing to Neji. It was one of the few times he got to appreciate nature, and he always had scolded himself for not doing it more often.

He took a deep, relaxed breath when another flash of lightning touched down and the following blast of the impact was felt immediately, catching Neji off balance as he stumbled onto the branch he had jumped to, nearly falling. He looked around carefully.

"The storm must still be going on, it's probably best if I stay low." He hopped down to the ground, avoiding all of the puddles as he landed. He brushed off his robe, which was now getting pretty wet from all of the time in the rain. He stepped again when a huge tremor shook the Earth where Neji stood and he fell forward, losing his balance, catching himself on his hands before hitting the ground. The rumbling continued on for almost a minute, and then everything had gone quiet. He slowly picked himself up and looked about him, looking at the trees and the landscape, making sure nothing was dangerously threating to him or the area around him.

"Everything looks fine." His eyes traveled across the setting, double-checking the environment. "What was that? If that was thunder, then where the hell was the lightning?"

"Right behind you."

The voice startled Neji and he immediately turned himself around, in fighting stance, towards this stranger, dressed in all black, standing on the branch of a nearby tree. The first thing Neji had drawn to his attention were the young man's eyes: blue, cold, bloodthirsty. This was the look of a true fighter, and Neji carefully kept his guard up.

"Hyuuga Neji," the young man spoke, his cape catching the gusts of wind and flowing freely in the air. The leaves rustled loudly, and the drops of rain began to scatter from the treetop leaves at which they once rested. Neji's hair and robe blowing in the breeze, his eyes never moved off of this new obstacle. He spoke again.

"I've been anticipating your return, Neji." He clenched his fists open and closed repeatedly, loosening up his fingers. "I assume your mission went well."

"My mission is none of your business," he answered, unmoving. He remembered what the Hokage had said to him..

_"Beware the shinobi in black. He is Minaya Kaelu, a skilled raijutsu user. He's the one that brought down Team Seven."_

_Neji nodded slowly. "What is he after?"_

_After Tsunade had explained the prophecy and the situation, she warned Neji. "Help protect the village at all costs. I have instated extra security, and I will know if any strangers enter this establishment. If he is able to enter our village, we'll all be in great danger.."_

Kaelu smirked. "I'm not concerned about your mission, I'm concerned about you." Neji gulped. He knew where this was leading.

"You have what _I_ want, Neji." He raised his left arm up and slowly pointed his index finger at the Konoha ninja. "And I'm going to take it," he smirked. "So, well.."

Neji continued to glare at his opponent, trying to study and predict his movements. His Byakugan eyes slowly developed as Kaelu spoke the last of his sentence.

"It's time for you to go," and it clicked.

Neji gasped and saw the massive chakra build-up in his left index finger. 'Shit, move!!' he screamed to himself. He quickly tucked and rolled to the right as he saw a quick flash as a loud thunderbolt boomed to where he once stood. On one knee, he looked up towards his opponent as he laughed to himself. Finally aware of the situation, Neji spoke up.

"You're the raijutsu master." His breathing was heavy from the adrenaline rush and he slowly got himself standing and back into fighting position. His eyes carefully examined the boy's chakra system and he was amazed by what he saw. The chakra was flowing at an insane rate through the ninja's body, and even more chakra was entering his body from the environment. He _himself_ was a conduct for electricity! He looked closer, and saw that the electricity was still molded within the chakra. 'This must be where the raijutsu power comes from,' he said to himself, but upon further examination, he saw that the static in the boy's system was still setting off within him. Neji was amazed. 'That's unreal!' he thought. 'That chakra _must_ be destroying him from the inside out. His control must be perfect, he'd be _dead_ if it wasn't.' He looked up to the boy's eyes again, the cold stare being returned to him.

'So that's how he's so powerful,' he continued with his theory. 'Even though he can manipulate any electricity around him, any new currents that enter his body must still be converted into chakra at his heart gate, which means on the path there, it's electrocuting his system internally. That's why he tries to end the fight once it starts! If he has to exceed his limit and delve into the pool of external currents, he'd only be hurting himself at the same time. I _have_ to stall, and make him drain his pool, then wait for a time to strike.'

"What's wrong, Hyuuga? You look like you've seen a ghost." Kaelu smirked. He blew the smoke from his index finger, then clapped his hands together firmly. "Let's see how you do with _this._" He raised both of his hands above his head, fingertips spread. The wind began to slowly circle around Neji, his eyes now had to focus on two things. Branches and leaves began to break away and get caught in the wind funnel around the jounin.

"Lightning Elemental." His smirk faded behind a tone of seriousness. He didn't want the fight to go any longer. The winds picked up to a rapid spin around Kaelu and Neji, surrounding him, so that he couldn't escape. The landscape outside the cyclone was becoming too dangerous as twigs, branches, and shards of wood, bark, and rocks began to circle at deadly speeds. The tree Kaelu stood on was caught in between the path of the funnel, and it began to splinter and break apart. 'Damnit!' he cursed to himself. 'I'm running out of time.' The branched he stood on buckled slightly, and he had to regain his balance before raising his arms again and finishing the attack. "Storm's Eye Bellow!" As the light in his fingertips formed, Neji quickly pivoted on his back foot and began to turn to his left quickly. He wrapped his left foot around his right and pivot again, turning back towards Kaelu once again, rotating himself as the lightning dropped down upon him. From above, ten steady currents of electricity rained down towards Neji and were suddenly shot off course as a bright blue hemisphere of chakra began to spin around Neji's body as the young jounin defended himself.

"Kaiten!" Neji's chakra repelled the lightning attack, shooting it back into the cyclone. Kaelu stopped the attack after a couple of seconds, seeing it wasn't going to connect.

"Damnit!" he muttered to himself. "This isn't going to be easy." Then, he felt the branch buckle again, and the wind around him began to swirl like crazy. A rock flew in from the cyclone and caught him on the right elbow. "Ahh!" He yelped out as debris began to flow everywhere. The wind made by Neji's kaiten was going counter-clockwise, and clashing with the clockwise cyclone made by Kaelu. The end result: the wind from the cyclone was imploding upon itself, shooting gusts and debris in every which direction, including inside the funnel. Though Neji was protected by his kaiten, Kaelu was a projected path for a lot of pain.

His eyes circled about the area, as debris strewn about, coming as close as graze across his skin. "I have no choice," he told himself. He _had_ to act. He crossed his arms at his chest. "Lightning Emission." At that instant, all of his chakra points exerted electricity outwards, surrounding his body, giving himself an inch-thick layer of strong magnetic current. Everything that hit Kaelu either was deflected away at great speeds or singed upon contact. Some objects even deflected a second time off of Neji's kaiten before plummeting to the ground.

As the cyclone died down, both combatants released their defensive techniques and, breathing heavily, surveyed their new situation. The area around them had been severely cut down. Nearby trees were reduced to wood-chips and bark. Grass and plants were pulled and strewn out. Even whole trees were uprooted and toppled over, leaving a mess of branches and leaves around them. Above them was now the open sky, grey and unforgiving. Death had seemingly surrounded the two of them.

* * *

"You've kissed?!" A shocked Hinata walked her friend down the road, not particularly going anywhere. On this cloudy, hazy day, the two girls had no problem wasting time walking around the village. It was about time they'd caught up wit their girl talk anyway. Though it was _Sakura's_ turn to do the talking as she had confessed her most recent secret to her best friend.

"A few times actually," she smiled, not trying to hide her blush. "It was so exhilarating!" Her voice squeaked and squealed and got a few giggles from Hinata. "He just takes my breath away and when we kiss, it's like I'm somewhere else, it's amazing!" She flung her arms out in excitement, nearly clotheslining a bypasser on the street.

"Careful!" Hinata yelled. Sakura dodged the pedestrian, apologizing quietly as she continued on. Hinata sighed and couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her friend. "How did the first feel? I mean, that.. that first kiss? What did you do?"

"Aw, well, sweetie, it just happened. We were talking and it just felt like the right moment, I can't really explain it, Hinata. You just.." She pumped her fists as if to try and express her emotion. "Feel it. You know when it's right." They walked over to a nearby bench on the street corner and sat down together. Sakura eased herself down onto the bench. She was recovering very quickly, but it didn't take much for her to lose her balance, and she wasn't taking any chances.

"You haven't kissed Naruto yet, have you?" Hinata frowned and softly shook her head. "Aww, you'll get your chance, girl." Sakura tried to cheer her up, "and you'll love it! Take it from me, you'll be nervous and shaky at first but after that first moment, it'll feel so.. so natural!"

Hinata offered a small smile. "I guess so. I just want it to happen. I've daydreamed about this moment for so long, and I just want it to be perfect. I want to be able to say to myself, 'Hinata, this is it. Show the boy you love him.' Everytime I say that to myself, I take a step forward in my confidence, but whenever he looks at me or says something to me, I feel myself wanting to shy away and I take a step back." She sighed under her breath. "I guess once I get that first kiss, I'll be alright. It's just so nerve wrecking, even to just get it, I mean.."

"Well you could steal it now and he wouldn't even know.." Sakura joked.

"No, I could never!" Hinata argued. "I love him, and that's a moment I'd want to share with him."

Sakura laughed, "Calm down, girlie, I was only joking. You need to loosen up a bit." She lightly punched Hinata playfully in the arm. "Roll with the punches, honey. Good or bad, whenever something happens, go with it, do what feels right. You'll know in time if it was the right or wrong thing, and you'll have to be willing to accept whatever follows. Just take that first step." Hinata nodded.

"I understand," her smile grew. "Thank you, Sakura."

"Anytime," Sakura's smile beamed back at her friend. "By the way, I want details when it happens." They laughed. Hinata was slightly embarrassed, but she didn't mind. She felt she could tell Sakura anything.

"Hey, Sakura," she asked timidly. Sakura responded with a slight headtilt.

"Hm?"

"Have you, I mean, have you ever thought of.. you know, getting.. well, close with Oroyo?" She stuttered immensely. She knew what she was trying to ask, she just couldn't get herself to _say_ it.

"Oh, _that??"_ Sakura laughed to herself, though she blushed slightly at the same time. "Well, of course I have! I'm sixteen years old, and as far as I'm concerned, those thoughts are natural." She leaned back on the bench and put her hands behind her head, lounging back. "I haven't done anything to that extreme, if that's what you're asking, but it's crossed my mind once or twice."

"I see," Hinata wasn't sure how to respond. For an innocent teenager, she had many fantasies about Naruto, though they hadn't been very frequent at all. That is, until he came back home.

"I'm just not ready for that," Sakura added. "Even though some of the older nurses and girls around work and the academy say it's such a great thing, I really don't feel the need to rush into such action." She put her hand at her waist, over her innocence. "This is precious to me, and I'm waiting for somebody I truly love to share it with." She smiled and ran her hand swiftly through Hinata's hair, and she blushed more in response. "You've thought about that with Naruto, haven't you?"

"I!... I… uhm," Hinata was completely caught off-guard, despite knowing she should've expected this. She succumbed to the pressure of the moment and nodded her head in embarrassment. "I have."

Sakura laughed and lightly pushed her. "That's nothing to be ashamed of, girl. Like I said, it's perfectly natural. So, give me details!"

"What?!" Hinata was in for more than she bargained for.

"You know. Thoughts, fantasies! How, when where, why?"

By this time, Hinata was hiding herself within her collar, struggling to come out, but she knew she should. Sakura was her best friend, and if she couldn't trust her, she'd be hard pressed to find anyone else to share herself with, with the exception of Uzumaki Naruto of course, but he's _no_ girl.

"I have no particular 'when' or 'where'. It never really occurred to me, I guess." She scratched her head. "I just want him to hold me, I want to feel his warmth." She took in a deep breath. "To hear his heart beat, to give… to give.."

"Your innocence." Sakura finished for her. Hinata's eyes quickly glanced into Sakura's, and the red upon her cheeks was now as bright as they could be.

"Yes... Yes I would." She admitted. "I'm not saying I would now. I wouldn't do that and risk everything I have, everything I do. But one day.." She smiled warmly, the biggest Sakura had seen in a long time. "I'll be his."

Sakura grinned. 'You will, girl.' She said to herself. 'You will.' She leaned forward again and spoke out, "Well, let's keep moving, shall we? Tonight's going to be a good night. I can feel it." Sakura stood up and stretched herself out. Then, she took a deep breath, and then coughed it back up. The humidity was too heavy for her exaggeration. Hinata stood up and pat Sakura gently on the back.

"Are you okay, Sakura?"

Sakura cleared her throat. "Yeah, I'm fine. Maybe I jinxed myself with that."

"Don't say that!" Hinata argued. They continued their walk slowly through the village. "Naruto-kun is waking up tonight! And you're feeling better! And I'm sure when we get to the hospital, we'll hear that Kakashi's surgery was a success! Today will be a great day." She smiled at her sister and got a grin in response.

"I hope you're right," Sakura said. "The last thing we need is another problem."

"By the way," Hinata interrupted. "Where _is_ Oroyo?"

"He said he went out with his grandfather and his brother today." Sakura shrugged. "I don't know where to, but I didn't want to ask. It's not polite to impose on family plans, I believe." Hinata nodded in agreement. "I'm sure I'll see him eventually."

"Let's hope he doesn't get into any kind of trouble." Hinata wondered.

"Nonsense," Sakura rebuked. "It's _Aidon's_ grandkid. He wouldn't get himself into trouble. I'm sure he's out having a blast."

* * *

Kaelu, simply, did not know what to do.

Here he was, already exhausted and still internally hurting from his fight two days earlier, face to face with whom Sakura had said was the most dangerous hand-to-hand combat fighter in Konoha. He had started out of the gate at full blast, chakra under complete control and at full power. Yet he couldn't connect with his Storm's Eye Bellow as Neji was perfectly prepared. Something about those eyes enraged him. Neji was so calm, so settled in his technique, and he showed no fear, no doubt. Those eyes gave him an advantage.

"Damn you," Kaelu shouted out. Neji smirked and kept in his stance.

Kaelu was at a complete disadvantage. He _couldn't_ fight close combat, not with _him_. As quick as he may be, one mistake and it would be all over. Also, Neji's strategy was to fight by _not_ fighting. Kaelu knew that Neji was trying to tire him out, and he had fallen for it. 'Half of my natural chakra is already gone,' he thought to himself, 'and I don't know how much intake my body will allow. I'm still damaged from my last fight.' He cringed and put his hand to the wound on his left shoulder.

"You're patient, unlike my previous opponent's." Kaelu rolled his left shoulder slowly to try and ease the pain from the kunai wound. "They tried to compete with my level of power and failed. But you, you're different." Kaelu glared, his eyes cold, filled with fright and murderous intent. Neji held his ground.

"I will not let you get past me," Neji replied. "This is as far as you'll go."

Kaelu looked for any kind of opening, any kind of answer. He needed to find a way to break this kid's focus. Otherwise, there would be no way he could connect effectively. Kaelu took a step forward and the stunning silence was broken by the snap of a twig under his foot. Neji readied himself more, his knees bent slightly more as he slightly leaned himself back, his arms extended in Gentle Fist style. 'The last thing I want to do is waste my chakra,' he told himself. 'Going head on would be stupid.' He sighed under his breath.

"I have no choice." His closed his eyes and raised his arms high above his head, to the cloud covering and the open patch of sky above him. Neji tried to comprehend his motives. He saw the chakra flow increase it's speed throughout his body. Neji's eyes widened.

'I have to strike _now!'_ he yelled at himself and he took a quick step forward and lunged towards his enemy, palm facing out towards Minaya. Kaelu's eyes shot open in a menacing glare towards Neji. "Lightning Elemental!" He screamed out. Neji stopped. He decided it was better not to charge into a technique he didn't know.

Kaelu slowly lifted his glare up to the sky and spoke quietly to the sky above him.

"Pain's Reward."

At that moment, a flash of lightning fell from the heavenly clouds and stuck the hands of the raijutsu master. His body spasmed pon contact with the massive voltage and he screamed out in agony over the magnitude of electricity running through his body, but he kept his arms firm and withstood the entire lightning strike. Neji looked on in amazement. He could barely fathom what was going on in Kaelu's body. The electricity was literally eating away the flow system from the inside out, but the power being converted at his heart was incredible. This probably would have easily killed anyone else who tried this.

'I don't think I can match this power,' Neji thought to himself. 'I'm not going to be able to keep yp with this crazed strength. I'm just going to have to survive.' The flow within Kaelu was not the normal blue that he usually sees within people but, instead, bright gold, electrified, and flying through his entire system at near-light speed.

"There's no way you can't keep that up for long. You'll eventually kill yourself from the inside out." Neji taunted. His opponent saw no humor in that fact.

"This fight won't be to last that long now," he responded, cringing, his body twitching from the sheer amount of shock within him. His skin was giving off static and smoke.. It was obvious he was in terrible pain.

But in Kaelu's mind, he no longer cared. This fight wasn't about the physical pain. It was about the mental scars, the one's he had just recently learned about, and the ones he had carried his entire life. From his running away, to his trials and life as a homeless, wandering boy, to learning of his dark past, to learning he has merely been a tool for the political power that took his father's life, Kaelu's anger had now soared to an all-time high.

"I.. will have the Angel for _myself_.." his voice grunted, stuttering and stopping a lot mid-sentence. "With her, I … I will avenge my father… and I…" His eyes began to glow with the same eerie lumiscence from the night before.

"I will kill… _anyone_ in my way!" In an instant, a bolt of lightning, and he had vanished. Neji's eyes widened. All that was left was a cloud of smoke and the black ashes of dirt from the ground that he stood over, from the sheer heat of his body.

Neji stepped back on his right foot and began to pivot quickly, ready to start another Kaiten, when he was interrupted by a sharp punch to his chest, sending a stinging electric shock through his body. His eyes widened even further as he recoiled back and put his arms to his ribcage, looking around frantically.

"What the hell..? I couldn't even see him!" A second later, Neji's head flew forward as his body contorted downwards towards the ground. Kaelu had appeared over Neji's head and had drop-kicked him straight down. Neji kept on his two feet and was able to recover and jump back a few feet, taking a few more small yet swift punches and kicks from his opponent.

"At this rate, he'll burn out before me," Neji said, confidently to himself. "But I can move just as fast as him." He concentrated his chakra, and he planned out his attack with delicate precision, even though he was being hit with strike after strike. It wasn't the hit that hurt, it was the after effect, the shock, that really bothered him.

Either way, he knew this was it. This was his opportunity to strike and take him down. Neji knew he could keep up with his speed, and if he could land a blow to Kaelu's chakra system, he knew the electricity would eat at the wound and basically disable him. One strike was all he needed, and the fight would be over.

But Neji also knew that this would leave him open for more damaging strikes, and hat was a risk he was still doubting himself over. As long as he had his arms over his face and chest, he could avoid serious attacks to his body, and he'd simply have to deal with the electrocution, as troublesome as that may be. Unfortunately, Kaelu was holding out far longer than Neji had expected. Either that or he was doing a really good job of hiding the pain he was in. Regardless, he kept up the barrage at the same pace and strength he had started at, and considering the attacks had gone on for a couple of minutes, the brave Konoha warrior had decided enough was enough. Neji decided that the risk was worth taking.

"Eight Trigrams," his focus could not be broken. His fingertips twitched in anticipation. In his mind, he pictured the attack design. In his mind, another ring added to the attack cycle.

"One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!" He spun, pivoting on the balls of his feet and began to spin around, striking in every which direction. He came into contact with Kaelu a number of times, deflecting away blow after blow at amazing speeds.

Kaelu was growing weaker. Now Neji was fighting back and each shot to his hands, arms, and legs slowed him down. Neji was narrowly missing chakra points on his body, which meant that some would be hit at any point. He knew he couldn't keep the barrage up much longer. The Konoha jounin was just as fast and would certainly last far longer than he, and he was suffering a large amount of physical pain. Each replication, every swing, every strike hurt more and more. He knew this would be it. He knew that, eventually, Neji would outlast him and overtake his strikes.

His eyes moved to the ground, as they kept moving, stepping back and forth preparing for each other's strike's. Neji turned his body and stepped into a huge puddle in the dirt, splashing up water, his arm moving faster than, and right through, the droplets, landing a strike on Kaelu's left shoulder. The pain was insurmountable. He screamed and, flailing his left arm, was able to lean forward and, with his right hand, strike the puddle, sending waves of electricity through the water, shocking both fighters tremendously.

Neji spasmed and nearly fell back from the intensity of the jolt that shot through his body, but he was now left wide open as his arms fell to his sides in slight numbness. He took a few stumbles back, steeping a couple of yards away from the puddle, and found that his arms were heavy, tingling on pins and needles, but he still tried to defend himself. He swung desperately, throwing his arm out, at the enemy, missing as Kaelu ducked under it.

On the verge of tears, burning on the inside both mentally and physically, and staring death in the face, Minaya Kaelu now followed through with his objective, following the sick decree that Kagetsu Shiro had laid out for him. He ran forward, past the puddle, with the debris of the forest surrounding them. He grabbed onto Neji's shirt and pulled himself up with his right arm, his left now dangling, dead, by his side. He used the momentum to jump up at Neji, swinging his right arm back and then forward again towards Neji's face. Neji stared the cold-hearted killer in the face, and it wasn't until he went to lift his left arm to block, and it didn't move, that he knew this was it.

"Hinata…"

The last thing he saw were those blue, cold eyes and his curved fingertips jetting towards his face. At last glimpse, he saw the strangers look of anger, pain, and agony. He didn't need to see in order to know what would happen next..

.. and he didn't.

Neji closed his eyes and braced himself, taking a . The palm of Minaya Kaelu met the lips of Hyuuga Neji as he drove his fingertips into the eyes of his submissioned opponent, shooting a last jolt of electricity into the poor soul's body. Neji's body shook from the final devastating jolt into his body, and as Kaelu released he fell backwards onto the ground, exhausted, injured, and at his limit. His body was literally cooking as smoke poured from the pores on his skin. His hands were covered in dark burns and painful blisters. His once bright blue eyes were dimming as all of the energy seeped from his body. Tears formed in his eyes and began to stream down his ashed and dirt-covered cheeks. He heard his father's voice..

_"Kaelu.."_

He shook his head and wiped away his tears agonizingly with his forearms, the burning from his skin rubbing against his eyes stung him all the more. He looked up at his opponent, in a daze on the ground, most of his face singed and covered in ash. His breathing was short and stuttered and he continued to mutter under his breath.

"Hinata.." His arms shook at his sides, but he planted them on the ground firmly and was able to get himself to sit up. Everything was black, and continue to stay black.

"Kaelu!" He screamed out. "What have you done?!" His voice was shaky in both fear and panic. He raised his right hand, slowly, to his face. He felt up from his chin, past his lips and up his cheeks and nose, and when he had reached his eyes, he had felt and finally understood the horrible, horrible truth of the matter.

"Kaelu!" He cried out. "You bastard!! Noooo!!" He fell forward, pounding his fists into the ground in front of him. "Damnit, you son of a bitch, what have you done!!"

Kaelu began to shake, and the tears returned to his eyes. The great opponent that once stood proud in front of him had now been reduced to this, and it was _his_ doing.

"Naruto, Sakura.." he quivered and put his hands to his face, sobbing for tears that would never escape. "Hinata, I've let you down. My dear, cousin. No, this can't be!" He pounded the ground once more and raised his head to the sky, screaming out to the Fates, themselves.

"This can't be!!!" He fell forward again, falling into his own arms. He sobbed in fear and distress. "Hinata.." was all that was left for him to say. Above them, the clouds broke and the late sun shone brightly over the forest. The woods were once again enriched with color, and, in the midst of the sunlight, in the patch of dirt that saw no shade, lay the darkest part of all.

Kaelu blinked away his tears and rolled onto his knees and stared coldly at Neji, trying not to let the streams continue. He shouldn't have to try, he shouldn't feel the need to, but something pressed him on..

"_Kaelu…" The voice echoed again._

The young tool stumbled to his feet. He could barely hold himself up as he reached into his weapon pouch, pulling out a kunai. His hand trembled the entire time

"Kaelu!!" Neji heard his movements and began to swing feverishly at the air, hoping he would strike his opponent and take his sorry self down with him. Kaelu moved very slowly, each step he took was labored, and he practically dragged his feet over towards his blinded opponent.

Neji scowled and grimaced in pain. He had suffered a fate far worse than death. His pride, his power was now taken away from him, and he had been rendered useless. He was growing tired quickly, he had been drained well past his limit. He stopped swinging, laboring desperately to keep his arms up in readied position. He continue to grunt and grimace in pain. He shook his head furiously, trying to see anything. All he could see was his cousin's shining smile..

_"Thank you… Neji… for being there for me…"_

Quietly, he stopped. A subdued Neji dropped his arms, exhaled, and lowered his head. He had nothing left to give, and no reason in his mind to continue.

The sun began its descent down in the West, and it brought to the sky an amazing palette of colors. Kaelu stopped to take a moment, kunai in hand, to look up at the beautiful sight. He sighed to himself at the majesty of nature, and he shook his head. He continued to fight back tears as he neared his opponent. Memories choked back his objective and made him hesitate more and more with each step.

_".. and that's when I lost my father.."_

He continued to take small steps towards Neji, who didn't move. He had accepted his fate, and was now letting the thoughts in his mind do all the talking he needed.

"Uzumaki Naruto," he said harshly, then he took a deep breath and let it out with a smile. "Take care of her, drop-out."

Kaelu kneeled himself down a couple of feet in front of Neji and saw that the once panicked, traumatized fictim was now once again tranquil.

"I can do.. no more." He lifted his head and appeared to stare Kaelu in the face. Kaelu had to look away, partially ashamed of his act. He had killed many enemies in his lifetime. He had disposed of so many fighters and ninja, mobsters and gangsters. Why did _this_ feel different? This was the first time it had truly _felt_ like murder..

"Hyuuga Neji," Kaelu whispered. He leaned forward, kunai readily aimed at his foe's heart.

"Tell me, Kaelu." Neji said calmly. He felt the warmth beaming down on his skin, and the birds began to chirp around him once more. "Is.. is the sun out?"

Kaelu could no longer contain his emotions as tears began to trickle down his face.

"Yes.. yes it is."

Neji nodded his head with a slight grin, "too bad I missed it. I never appreciated the little things enough. Not like…" he thought about her once again, ashamed and embarrassed of himself.

"I'll see you in hell, Minaya," he whispered, he voice dark and honest. Kaelu brushed away his tears with his forearm.

"No," Kaelu choked back the last of his tears. "You won't be there."

Neji's left arm slowly reached up and grabbed the hand of Kaelu's. He ran his fingers over his knuckles, and brought them forward, feeling the edges and point of the kunai. He was far too weak to try and defend himself. He placed his hand over Kaelu's and, with the last of his strength, and all of his honor, pulled his opponent's hand forward, the kunai, he knew, pointed right at him..

"Neji!!"

.. and it hit.

The pair of them did not move for a moment. Kaelu's hand trembled as he held the dagger firmly, the tip of his far knuckle brushing his victim's chest. The blood began to stream from his body in the way his tears could not. Neji knew what was soon to come, and he was not afraid.

"Minaya Kaelu," he whispered. "You will not succeed. If the shinobi of Konoha don't put an end to you.. you, yourself, will."

Kaelu shook his head to himself. Neji continued, his voice fading into nothingness.

"You cannot escape your past, Kaelu. Do the right thing and give up this mission, change the future for yourself. Uzumaki.." he stopped to cough up blood, his grip on Kaelu's hand tightened. "Uzumaki Naruto once taught me… that you can change your destiny, single-handedly. That fate is _not_ set in stone.."

Kaelu sighed and looked down at the ground, "If only it were that easy."

"I lost my father, too, when I was young," Neji reassured him. "There will always be many mysteries. But don't live your life full of vengeance. I'm sure your father would have wanted you to live your _own_ life. For yourself." Kaelu's frown grew. He could barely remember his father. All he had were his early childhood memories, which were already fading over time.

"Be your own person, Kaelu." Neji continued to cough as his breathing began to vanish. "Leave here, leave everything behind, and become who you… truly… want…"

Kaelu looked down at his opponent, who smiled, and, with his last breath, spoke.

"I have.. and with that… I.. can rest… fulfilled.." Kaelu felt Neji's fingers drift off of his hand, and the young jounin began to fall back, slowly, onto the ground. Kaelu put his arms behind Neji, and led him down slowly and gently. As his head reached the ground, Neji let out his breath for the last time, and with that, he was gone.

"Hyuuga.. Neji.." was all Kaelu could say to himself as he stared down in wonder at this brave, young jounin. He leaned over his body and pulled the kunai from his heart and rested it on his chest. He ripped a piece from his shredded cape and remorsely clean up his victim's face from the cinders, dust and dirt that covered it. He wiped the blood that built up in his eyes and on his face. He ran his fingers down from Neji's forehead and closed his eyelids completely on his way down.

The sun began its final descent as the two remained motionless as time passed. Kaelu looked down and saw a proud opponent, and a hero. He closed his eyes, and in his mind, he saw his father, standing tall, nodding his head at him. Minaya Kaelu had now learned a very hard lesson about life, through a person he would never expect.

"Hyuuga Neji," he said one last time, as the shadows and the darkness began to overtake the once-colorful sky. He looked up and watched the sun disappear over the horizon in blazing glory.

Kaelu stood up quietly, and began to stumble away, holding his left shoulder in pain. He took one last glance back at Neji, who, after all the agony of the fight, seemed to be at peace. He distanced himself from the fallen hero and reached into his pouch, pulling out an emergency explosive. He released the seal and through the tag as high into the air as he could. The tag exploded with a loud booming thunder and set off a display of bright lights into the air.

"You'll be home, soon.."

With that done, the Southern jounin limped away, leaving the horrible scene behind.

_"Become who you truly want…"_

Already, his words echoed. He had thought about Atsuke, about Aidon, and Sakura. He thought about Naruto, Tsunade, Hinata, and the lives they all led.

Then he had thought about himself, and the life he was directed to follow..

.. and follow no longer.

Minaya took with him that night the painful memories of his past finally brought to light,

..and the memory of a fighter, and a hero, he would _never_ forget.

* * *


	10. The Unfulfilled

**Disclaimer: **Naruto is not mine, as I've said many times. You know the routine.

Again, thanks for keeping with me. To those of you who enjoy the story, thank you very much and I hope I can continue to please.

I would love and appreciate comments and reviews, good or bad, so if I may ask politely for them, I will :-P

Enjoy chapter 10! (Ten… ten already?! Wow..)

* * *

**The Unfulfilled**

The sun had merely set twenty minutes ago, and Hinata had already grown impatient. The doctor, when she had gotten there, said "evening," and though it had been "evening" less than half an hour, Hinata began to pace about, wondering when her love would awaken from his drug-induced sleep.

Sakura had kept her composure and kept herself quietly sitting in the seat by the window, facing the bed. To her immediate left was the windowsill and the view from the third floor out to the east. Hinata's chair was pulled up to Naruto's bedside, where for the first few minutes of her visit, she stayed calm, holding his hand gently, running her fingers through his. Now, she spent her moments circling the floor, glancing at his lifeless body every few seconds, examining for movement. His breathing was normal, and comforting to watch for her, but not enough.

"Give it a rest, girl." Hinata turned to her friend who sat, seemingly bored, resting her head on her hand, elbow propped up neatly on the sill. "He'll wake up. Just because the doctor said in the evening didn't mean exactly when the sun completely set."

"I know, Sakura, I know." Hinata sighed softly. "I'm just.."

"You're anxious, I know." She lifted her head with a smile. "But when his eyes open up, whenever it may be, it will all be worth it." Hinata smiled back.

"You're right. I guess I should just give it a rest." She walked over to her chair and sat back down, placing his hand softly in hers. She turned to face Sakura. "I just pray nothing's wrong with him, like, with his memory or anything."

"I doubt that's the case," Sakura said, much to her friend's relief. "That only usually coincides with direct damage to the head and brain. Naruto only suffered from static aftershock, which though it's still dangerous, only affects his muscles and his nerves." Hinata gasped, but Sakura laughed and waved off her worry. "Relax, girlie. Naruto has a keen ability to heal faster than most people. I'm sure with that last infusion, he's just sleeping it off."

Hinata didn't take her words lightly. She was still very worried about her dream boy and she openly expressed it.

"I.. " she tapped her fingers lightly on the bed mattress. Sakura looked over at her, head tilting slightly.

"You what, honey?"

"I'm.. I'm going to tell him. Tonight." Sakura's smile widened.

"Aww, that's fantastic!" She put her arms up to her chest and squealed, hugging herself. "This is so exciting!" Hinata blushed. Sakura was _really_ into romantic things and she was having a blast with Hinata's adventure. "After he wakes up, just give me a nod or something and I'll leave the room for you, okay? I'll keep guard outside so that nobody comes in."

Hinata nodded, smiling behind her hands veiling her cheeks. "Thank you, Sakura-san. I'm just nervous on how exactly to say it."

"You don't need to be fancy. Just tell him you have something you want to say, and then when he's looking into your eyes, whisper it to him. Be gentle, but be confident. You have _nothing_ to hide, remember that!" Hinata nodded slowly. That wasn't enough. "Say it!"

"I.. I have nothing to hide…" She mumbled and spoke slowly.

"Louder, girl! Say it to your man!"

She swallowed hard and glanced over at Naruto. Her eyes were focused on him and her face grew serious, her voice strong. "I.. I have nothing to hide!" She looked back over to Sakura, who grinned widely at her.

"There you go. You'll do fine, trust me." Sakura got up and walked over to the door to the room and leaned against it, waiting patiently for Naruto to awaken. She leaned completely back and crossed her legs at her knees, her eyes wandering aimlessly about the room. "It's been a long day," she said to herself out loud. "It sucks when you can't exactly do anything."

"When will you be able to train and work out again?" Hinata asked.

"I still have another week or so before I can get back into my routine. Until then, it's light house chores and walking around for me. The more I walk and move around, the healthier my body will stay, which is important for the new tissue." She lifted up her shirt and showed Hinata the patch of scarred skin on her stomach in the shape of a circle. Sakura was certainly a light skinned girl, and early in the summer she would sunburn a lot, but over time, she would develop a nice, light tan, and with the near-white reconstructed skin on her stomach, it was easy to tell where the damage was done.

"That area will become normal soon, right?" Hinata was concerned for her sister.

"Yeah, no worries." She tucked her pink blouse into her pants. "It's all part of the development. Once the new cells have fully adapted to their function, which would be as skin cells, they'll begin to function like normal skin cells, and will burn and tan as the rest of me does."

"Well," Hinata replied. "That's good to know." Then, she felt something move in her hands. She gasped and jumped away a bit, almost as if it were a bug, but she didn't let go. "Sakura, look!" She motioned to the hand underneath hers, its fingers opening and closing very carefully, followed by the grunting and groaning of a young teenager waking from a very long sleep.

Sakura's eyes brightened and her face filled with excitement. "He's waking up!" She jumped in place, the glow in Hinata's eyes returned as she couldn't contain her smile as she kept her eyes on his, waiting patiently for them to open.

"Naruto!" She called out to him, grinning. "Naruto-kun!" She placed both hands around his, squeezing gently. His eyes twitched and tensed as he floated gently back into consciousness. Finally, his eyes opened, cautiously. In slumber for so long, and waking up only once during the middle of the night, the light was a little too much for him. He lifted his arms slowly to shield his face.

"Ah, damn light. It's so bright in here," he complained, rubbing his eyes with his right hand, not even stopping to realize that his left arm was being held down. He blinked a couple of times and looked over to his left and saw the source of the problem, and he saw her, by his bedside, holding his hand. Exactly what he had dreamt of.. exactly where he wanted her to be..

"Hinata.." the goofy smile crept over his face as it only made her smile grow even bigger. A tear escaped her eye, though she didn't care to hide it. This was the moment she had waited for.

"Naruto-kun!!" She threw herself over his body, wrapping her arms around her neck, and buried her head into his far shoulder, crying. He wasn't sure how to respond at first, but he smiled and draped his arm over her, embracing her tightly.

"It's okay, Hinata." He tried to laugh it off. "I'm okay, really. No need to get all worked up," he turned to his left and saw his teammate standing in the doorway. She smiled, winked, and gave a short wave to him.

"Welcome back," she joked. Naruto smiled at her and gave her thumbs up with his free hand. He felt Hinata nuzzle his chest, drying her tears. She was done sobbing and now just resting her head where she had wanted to for days.

"Glad to see you're alright, too. How's Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto questioned.

"I was actually waiting for you to wake up. I'm going to go down the hall and check up on him."

"Check up?"

Sakura lowered her head, "It was pretty serious, and he had to go through a rough surgery. Try not to worry too much about it, we'll talk about it later."

She turned to leave the room and as she opened the door, she looked back at Naruto and winked. "I'll leave you two alone for now." Naruto smirked at his friend and gave a slight wave with his free hand. She did likewise and disappeared down the hallway. He waited for the door to click before he made any movement. When the hinged clicked into place, his eyes glanced over to Hinata. She was absolutely beautiful He, even in sleep, had missed her so much, and here she was, in _his_ arms, at _his_ bedside, and now, with nothing but just the two of them.

It was now or never.

As she rested her head, Naruto leaned as forward as he comfortably could and planted a kiss on the top of her head. She picked her head up and gazed into his eyes, smiling warmly.

"I.. I missed you so much, Naruto-kun." She traced her finger up and down his chest, much to his surprise. It sent shivers up and down his spine, which, hey, he couldn't complain. Anything was better than electricity at this point. They continued to just smile at each other as Naruto picked up his hand and placed it to her chin, his thumb caressing her cheek ever so gently. She let her eyes close and in a moment of sheer affection, she nuzzled her cheek against his hand, up and down, like a kitten.

'She's so.. adorable,' he thought to himself. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He loved her. He _knew_ he loved her. All that was left was to confess, and now was the ideal time. They were alone, and at an emotional high. He knew all he had to say was 'I love you,' but there was so much else he could say as well, and he hesitated a minute to try and plan just what would come out of his mouth.

But that's when he decided that all of that didn't matter; that it was just stupid. He only _needed_ to say one thing, and it was time.

"Hinata," he whispered. She stopped her cute act of affection and gazed up at him, her eyes huge and bright, full of love and at the same time, curiosity. What did he have to say?

"Y-yes, Naruto-kun?"

He blushed and, for a second, looked away. "Well, it's just that.." Hinata reached over and tilted his cheek so he faced her again. "Sorry about that." He blinked and took a deep breath, focusing on her again. "What I'm trying to say is that.."

"What is it?" She leaned in towards his face ever so slightly, her eyes unwavering from him.

"You.." he took one last deep breath, gathered his courage, and pressed onward. "You mean so much to me, Hinata. You've been by my side since the day I got home, and I'm always thinking about you.." He blushed. "Maybe too much.." He tried to laugh it off, and she giggled at his childish smirk, but he continued his confession, taking her other hand in his other.

"What I'm trying to say is that.. I have… I have feelings for you Hinata," and at that moment, it felt as if time had frozen. Her heart jumped, she felt the adrenaline race in her body, the rush so thrilling she nearly screamed out in excitement. She kept her cool and gripped his hand tighter, her gaze deepening.

"You do?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "In fact, call me crazy but.." He looked away for a second, not able to hide his grin. Finally, he was able to look back up at her and say the words she had waited an eternity for.

"I love you.. Hinata."

She couldn't hide behind her smile. Nor did she attempt to. She felt the blood rise to her cheeks, and she couldn't be any more glad to have that happen. He loved her! This had to be a dream! There was no way things could be _this_ perfect.

With nowhere to hide, and their hands locked in each others, Hyuuga Hinata did the only sensible thing she felt she could.

And with a single tear, her gentle voice spoke volumes.

"I love you, too, Naruto-kun.."

Naruto didn't overreact. He didn't gasp, jaw-drop, or even scream out in happiness as he had been known for doing. He looked into her eyes, and lightly brushed her cheek, smiling as wide as he could. She began to giggle a little uncontrollably as the anxiety of the moment had finally caught up with her. Naruto laughed and pat her on the head gently before running his hand through her soft, flowing hair. She gasped and tensed her body lightly, and she closed her eyes and purred almost instinctively. Naruto ran his hand all the way down to the back of her neck and she shivered to herself, letting a small, unnoticed moan escape her lips. For her, this was too good to be true.

"I've… " she started. "I've been in love with you.. as.. as long as I can remember, Naruto-kun." She leaned back and sat up in her chair, scooting it over closer to him. Once settled in again she rested her elbows on the side of the bed and took his hand. "You mean so much to me, Naruto, I don't know what I'd do without you."

He was absolutely touched. "Hinata, I.."

"No, wait," she interrupted. "I need to tell you this." He stopped, his mouth slightly open, amazed by her aggression. "I told myself. before you woke up.. that I had nothing to hide.. and I'm sticking to it." She caressed his fingers. "Every day, while you were gone, I thought about you.. I wondered how strong you'd become, and I trained, myself, every chance I could. So that I could be stronger, so that I wouldn't be left in the dark by you." Her voice began to quiver, it was obvious her emotions were taking over.

"You make me so.. so warm, so comfortable." She lifted his hand and kissed it. "You make me feel so complete, Naruto, so happy. I feel that I have nothing to lose when I'm with you." A tear trickled down her cheek. "I just want you to know how much I really love you, Naruto. I love you more than anything I could possibly think of, and I want nothing more.." She stopped, took a deep breath to try and control the tears, and she rested her head on his chest again, not looking away.

".. to be yours."

Naruto was stunned. He turned as red as Hinata usually became. For a few seconds, his voice stumbled and stuttered as nothing coherent escaped. She held her free hand up to her face, hiding a half-devilish grin. She had him just where she wanted, and he loved it! He wanted her, and he now knew that they could have something more than just an attraction in the dark.

"Hi.. Hinata…" He managed.

She leaned in closer, "Yes, Naruto?"

He put her hand to her chin and smiled.

"Be mine."

She grinned, not able to suppress her cute, childish smile. She squeezed his hand tightly, the last of her tears rolling down her cheek as she was now taken over by sheer happiness.

"Yes… yes, Naruto! I'm yours!" She flung herself over him, wrapping her arms tightly around him, hugging him for all it was worth. Naruto wrapped his arms around her and ran his hand up and down her back gently. She inhaled deeply, her body relaxing in his arms. She looked up at him with bright, glowing eyes. He continued to run his fingers down her cheek.

"So, what happens now..?" She asked curiously. Naruto laughed softly and lightly used his finger to pull her chin slightly towards him.

"How about where we left off last time?" He smirked, and Hinata gasped lightly. She knew what was soon to be and the excitement rushed through her body She put her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him up inch by inch to meet her.

"I love you, Hinata.." his warmth was now seemingly radiating towards her, and she was ready. They were both ready.

"I love you too, Naruto-kun.." She took a deep, deep breath and closed her eyes, parting her lips. Naruto closed his eyes as well and inched closer and closer to her, leading her lips towards his at the same time. Once he had felt Hinata's nose brush against his, he parted his lips and moved in for what would be the biggest rush of his life, when a loud bang from behind them startled the two lovebirds, as their heads now shot in the direction of the hospital room door. The door flew open and standing there was Sakura, in tears, out of breath.

"Hinata!!" she screamed, her voice carried through the entire hospital floor. Hinata took Naruto's hand from her cheek as she leaned up to look at Sakura. Sakura's breaths were erratic and heavy as she tried to calm herself in front of her two best friends. She couldn't as the tears fiercely streamed down her face.

"It's Neji!!"

The life from Hinata's eyes disappeared in a flash. She took a heavy, hard swallow, and her mouth gaped right open again. She stared at her friend in disbelief. After a moment of silence, she shot up, staring at her friend, who had to turn away. She couldn't look Hinata in the face. Not now.

"What happened, Sakura?" Naruto said, sitting up in bed, throwing the rest of the covers off of him.

Through a river of tears, the young medical chuunin choked out, very slowly, "106A. He's…" she lowered her head, hiding her eyes behind a veil of pink hair. "He's in there.."

Hinata and Naruto looked at each other, exchanged very concerned glances and Hinata raced out of the room, and Naruto shot out of bed to follow her. Hinata ran past Sakura and out the door, down the hallway towards the staircase. Naruto was hot on her heels, but he paused for a moment when he passed Sakura. He stopped and turned to her, putting both his hands upon her shoulders. He knew she was hiding.

"I don't know what happened.. but sit down, please." She nodded slowly.

"Neji.." was all she could say. Naruto nodded in response, though Sakura didn't even notice, and he took off, trying to catch up to Hinata. His body was very weary and not used to standing, let alone running, and he tumbled down the hallway, nearly falling a number of times.

Sakura could only watch as the new couple raced down to the emergency center. She rubbed her eyes slowly, as the tears continued to roll on. "Hinata," she whispered as her friends disappeared down the staircase.

"I'm so sorry.."

* * *

It was Hinata who first reached the door to the emergency room. The windows were very narrow and she could only make out the backs of some people in the room. She was able to pick out Gai-sensei from behind, standing next to the doctor on one side of the table. On the other side of the table, Tenten clung herself tightly to Lee, her eyes closed tightly, her focus away from the table. She couldn't see Lee's expression but she assumed it was no better. She skimmed her eyes around the room one last time before entering and she caught a bit of her father, just inside the door to the right, his face solemn, his head down, and his spirit seemingly gone.

Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder as she got startled by his touch and sharply turned to face him.

"I'm right behind you," he nodded, motioning for her to go in. She nodded in return and faced the door once again. She pushed forward lightly and the door swung open, as everybody in the room turned to face her, silent. Everyone was looking at Hinata except her father, who kept his head down, and Tenten, who upon opening her eyes and looking at her, burst into tears once more and shut her eyes, burying her face into Lee's arms. The doctor stood in front of the table, blocking her view of what was behind him. The doctor looked at her with a forlorn, grave stare, his deep brown eyes almost lifeless as he stepped forward

"Hinata," he said, very gently. He cleared his throat and looked around the room in slight desperation, but no one was going to offer him any help in the situation. He began to continue speaking when Hinata cut him off.

"Where's Neji?" Her eyes were full of concern. The doctor had to look away from her for a second, his head dropped low towards the ground. Hinata gazed over at other people in the room, but no one would return the glance, keeping their eyes from hers.

"Hinata," he cleared his throat once more than took a very slight sidestep to the right, revealing part of the fallen's body. Hinata peered behind him and gasped, her hands flying up in front of her face. Naruto looked away from the body. He knew who it was, and he knew what was going on.

Hinata tiptoed forward very slowly, her eyes fixed on the table and the young man spread across it. She could barely breathe as she neared the table. She looked over at the doctor. He placed a hand on her shoulder very carefully.

"I'm so sorry, Hinata." Her lips began to quiver as her breathing grew heavier and heavier as she battled to fight back tears. She looked back at Naruto, and he nodded and stepped forward. Everyone's eyes followed him until he reached Hinata's side, putting his hand to her other shoulder, looking down at the table in front of him. Her eyes were glued on the table as well as she felt the tears swell up in her eyes.

"Neji.." was all that managed to escape her lips. She took another step forward, her eyes filled with despair and suffering as she gazed upon the face of her beloved cousin, lifeless on the bed in front of her. His shirt was removed, exposing his injuries. It had appeared that the medical staff had done work on the body, but Hinata knew the end result had not changed. Everything around her seemed to fade into darkness as she knelt table-side, taking Neji's cold hand in hers.

"He was killed in battle. Another victim of Minaya Kaelu, it appears," the doctor explained. "He was blinded during the battle and then finished with a kunai wound to the heart." Hinata looked at her cousin's chest. He had been cleaned up fairly well, but the burns on his face and the wound over his heart told the story.

"Hmph," a voice scoffed from the other corner of the room. It was Tsunade, her arms crossed in front of her, her expression one of both grief and anger.

"We had tried," Hinata looked back over to the doctor, who continued in his explanation. "We had tried to save him, to resurrect his system, but we were far too late. An emergency tag had been set off in the forest a couple of hours ago, where he had been found, but.."

"We're assuming he was already dead at that point," Tsunade finished, her head lowered. "There was nothing we could do."

_"Please be careful, Hinata.." _she heard him echo..

She tried to smile for him, but it quickly faded. "Ever since.. ever since Naruto left town two years ago, you've been behind me in everything I've ever done.. Before that, I thought you would always hate me.."

Naruto stood quietly behind his love, and was ready to step in whenever she needed him. For the time being, though, he looked around as all eyes were on Hinata, as her words fluttered about the room, touching the hearts of everybody. Her eyes scanned his body, looking to see what happened.

"I was always afraid you'd continue to see me as a failure.. as a disgrace.." She sniffled and coughed back tears with every break in her words. "But you've always been there for me, Neji.. you've come through more than anybody else. You were my protector, my guardian.. my.. my hope."

_"I'm here if you need me, Hinata. I'll always be.."_

"You proved to me that people _can_ change, Neji," She stopped briefly to wipe the tears from her cheeks as she ran her thumb across his fingers. "And as much as I've been hurt, lately, you've been there to push me through it. The get me through all of my failures, my letdowns, my.. my.." she traced her arm with her other hand, outlining the dreadful scar she committed to herself.

".. my fears and nightmares.."

Naruto began to cry softly behind her. He had no idea how Neji had changed, and to hear these words coming from Hinata was too much for him to bear. He looked over at his old rival and comrade and kneeled down on one leg, bowing his head.

_"We're a family, Hinata.."_

"You've taught me so much," she sobbed, squeezing his hand tighter. "And I never got to truly.. truly thank you, Neji-san." She began to tremble..

"_I love you, Hinata."_

"And.. and I never..." the first of her tears dropped from her chin, hitting the ground with a light tap.

"I never.. got.. Neji… Neji!!…" She collapsed at the side of the bed, frantically in tears.

"I never got to say good-bye!" She curled up alongside the bed. Most of the people in the room were now crying, or looking away to prevent it. Naruto crawled over on his knees to her, and put his arm around her as she could barely hold herself up, crying into his arm.

"Nooo!" she screamed, grabbing onto Naruto's shirt tightly. "It's not fair, it's not fair! Neji!!" She dug her face into Naruto's arm, her cries muffled. "Come back… please, don't leave me!"

Naruto sat quietly, cradling her, rocking her gently as she sobbed to herself her latest tragedy. Tears escaped down his cheeks as well as he peered around the room and saw most of his accomplices in tears. The only ones who were not were the doctor, who was blinking back his emotions, and Tsunade, who moved from the corner of the room to the doorway, as she peered at the two distraught teenagers with softened, despairing eyes before leaving the room without a word.

Naruto ran his hand up and down her back carefully as she cried heavily in his arms. "Hinata," he tried to speak to her, but she wouldn't answer. He rocked her gently. "Hinata, please." He felt her gasping for air between sobs, and he tried to tilt her chin up so he could look at her, but she jerked his hand away, burying her face further into his arm.

"Don't look at me!" she yelled. Naruto quickly moved his hand back to its original place around his love's back.

As others began to slowly file out of the room, Hinata stayed by her cousin's side, curled up against Naruto, her arm still outstretched, reaching her cousin's hand, holding it warmly. She no longer sobbed but the river of tears still streamed down her cheeks. Her father stepped up to her and Naruto and squat down beside them. Naruto watched and he placed his hand on top of her head lightly, leaned in and kissed the side of her head lightly.

"We'll talk at home, Hinata." He kissed her again and cleared his throat, wiping away his tears once more before heading towards the door. Naruto's eyes followed the hallowed figure until he stopped with the palm of his hand on the window of the door.

"Uzumaki," his stern voice called out.

Naruto's voice still quivered, but he managed to answer him. "Yes, sir?"

Hiashi took a deep breath, still facing the door, and exhaled slowly. "Get her home safe, Naruto." Hinata revealed her face, looking up at her father in slight awe. He was trusting Naruto with her..

"Yes, sir." Naruto nodded. Hiashi held his arm up in a quick wave, then pushed the door open in front of him and his slowly stepped out, heading for a long, painful trip home. Naruto glanced back over to Hinata, and something was different about her. She continued to try and look out the door to see if she could watch her father leave, and that's when Naruto realized what was wrong with this picture.

'Her eyes,' he thought to himself. 'They're… they're green…' He pondered for a moment as he gazed into her eyes as they gave off a startling glow, her pupils, a darker shade of green, were actually visible.

She let go of Neji and clung to Naruto tightly, her voice still shaky. "Hold me," she asked. Naruto couldn't refuse.

Naruto and Hinata embraced, tear-filled and heartbroken, for a few moments on the floor by the table. When she re-opened her eyes to look at him, he had noticed they had returned to their normal color, but he decided now was not the best time to ask about it. The doctor, who had left a couple of moments before to treat another patient, returned quietly into the room.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" The two teenagers looked at him silently and they shook their hears. "You're a patient here, correct, Naruto? Will she be staying the night? I brought a visitor form she can fill out if she'd like to."

"Thanks," Naruto replied, "but I need to get her home. Her father is expecting her return, and I'm going to make sure she gets back safe."

The doctor nodded his head and put the clipboard under his arm. "That's alright. Considering the circumstances, if you would like to go home and rest tonight, I'll allow it. But I'm asking you to remember to come in tomorrow morning for your check-up."

"I will doctor. Thanks." The doctor offered a slight smile before turning and opening the door. He looked back and, with his free arm, motioned for them.

"There's nothing more to be done here, kids. I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to leave." His words struck the young couple hard, as they slowly and silently got to their feet as they dragged themselves toward the door. "I'm so sorry," he reiterated. "But the ANBU has requested a look at his body for investigation purposes."

"Kaelu.." Naruto mumbled.

The doctor nodded. "We need any and all information we can get on this killer, quickly, before he strikes again. Don't worry, his body will be preserved so that a proper funeral service may take place."

"That's enough," Hinata said, very angrily, very distraught. "I'm sorry, doctor, but that's not something I wish to speak of right now." She took Naruto's hand and led them out of the room. "What needs to be done.. needs to be done." With that, she continued on her way, not looking back as she exited the hospital with Naruto, quiet, by her side. The doctor couldn't bring himself to say anything as he watched the couple leave. He looked back at Neji and sighed to himself.

"So much potential.. so many dreams.." he shook his head, closing his eyes in disgust of the murder.

"You're right, Hinata.. you're right…"

"_It's not fair!!"_ her screams haunted him. One last tear rolled down his cheek.

"It isn't."

* * *

"It's a miracle you're even alive."

Kaelu turned and saw Aidon pouring him a glass of warm tea. Behind him sat Atsuke on his bed, draping his legs over the side, watching his friend with a worried look on his face. He cracked a smile when Kaelu looked at him. It had pained Kaelu to even roll over, yet he barely remembered getting back here after the fight.

"Welcome home," Atsuke said in his childish voice. Kaelu let out a small smirk.

"What happened?"

"I assume you had used your jutsu to get through the gate," Aidon's voice boomed. "It's a good thing you were not noticed, because you were obviously past your limit." Atsuke's grandfather began to pace around Kaelu's bed as the hunter's eyes followed the man's every move.

"The moment you got yourself through the gate, you passed out. I woke up seeing a flash of lightning and when I looked out to the garden, there you were, passed out on the ground." He sipped his tea very slowly, then he motioned to the table next to Kaelu's bed. "There's tea for you, too, boy. Drink up if you can, it'll help you recover faster."

Kaelu looked at his own body. His hands were wrapped in bandages, and, with his shirt off, he could see cuts and bruises possibly left my the debris made by the Storm's Eye technique. On his arms, bruises as well as a few red dots, signaling where Neji's strikes had hit him during the final barrage. He tried to move his fingers, but, due to the swelling and burning, it hurt him too much. He had also noticed his black pants, revealing he was not in disguise.

"When we had gotten you, you were beat up pretty bad," Atsuke added. "What happened today?"

"I.." he put his hands very lightly to his head and a migraine was beginning to come over him. He closed his eyes and picture Neji, clutching at his own eyes..

"_You bastard! What have you done??"_

He shook his head violently, trying to get rid of the thoughts. "I fought Hyuuga Neji," he replied, quietly. Aidon looked at him sternly, sipping away his tea.

"Wow, you fought somebody?" Atsuke's eyes widened. "He was really powerful, huh? But you beat him, right?"

Kaelu's eyes looked away from the others as his head dropped low.

"_If the shinobi of Konoha won't put an end to you.. you, yourself, will.."_

He nodded slowly, "Yes.. I did.." He tried to avoid Aidon's gaze like the plague. He felt the old man's eyes burning through him.

Atsuke leaned in a little closer, "Did you.. did you kill him?"

Kaelu's heart ached at that question. He remembered Neji pulling the kunai at himself, and his own screamed echoed in his mind..

"_Neji!!"_

"I did." His answer was very dry, very pained.

"_Leave here, leave everything behind.." _His voice continued to haunt him.

"I.. 'Suke, come here" He slowly lifted his arm and motioned towards himself. Atsuke got up off of his bed and sat next to an ailing Kaelu. He put his hand to Atsuke's shoulder, even though it was hurting him, and he confessed.

"I.. I don't think I can go through with this mission. I've.." he looked over to Aidon, who's once-piercing gaze had cooled off quite a bit. "I've found the angel, Atsuke." The young boy's eyes widened.

"You.. you found it?" Kaelu nodded in reply. "I can't believe it!"

"Shhh…" Kaelu motioned for his friend to calm down, and he did. "But.. I don't want to give that kind of power to Takeno. It's far too dangerous.. I don't feel he'd even be strong enough to handle that kind of power."

"But what about the prophecy? What about the Angel?" Atsuke questioned.

"Exactly," Kaelu answered. "We'd be using the Angel as a slave, and.." He saw Aidon nod at him out of the corner of his eye. "Takeno and his men would use it to declare war on the North. They're seeking revenge for their years of suffering and.."

Atsuke looked over at Kaelu. "And what?"

"And.. they're using us." Kaelu sighed softly. "They're using us to get to that weapon." Atsuke moved away from the injured jounin and snapped back.

"Kagetsu would never do that! I mean," he paused for a moment to think of the situation. "I mean, I know he wants the power of the Angel for scientific purposes, but.. I just can't believe he would use us in that way."

"Atsuke, you _have_ to believe me." Kaelu's eyes grew bright, his voice strong. "If we report back without any findings, I feel that the General and Shiro will have us killed."

Atsuke fumbled with his words. "I.. how.. but.." he turned back to his grandfather, who looked down at his grandson with much concern. "Grandpa, is this true..?"

Aidon sighed and shook his head. "Knowing what I do about that twisted government down there… I'd have to say yes. It's true."

The young grandson sighed and lowered his head. He crossed his legs, which were draped over the side of the bed, and he held his hands in his lap, thinking quietly to himself. He couldn't piece this together, and he just didn't understand why Shiro would use him simply to get a weapon to start a war.

"You see," Kaelu tried to explain. "Shiro had heard about me and my journeys, and he certainly must have known something about my past."

"_Maybe he knows you're the best ninja on the whole Continent!" Atsuke exclaimed.._

"Shiro believed that the one person out there stronger than me was the Angel, and as long as the Northern Continent had that, there was nothing he and Takeno could do." Kaelu slowly sat up, wincing at the effort, and continued. "But they had to be sure, so they sent me up here to see if it really _was_ here. If I found it, I would bring the Angel to them and they would strike the North without fear. If I didn't find it, they would be quick to believe that it was… it was me."

Atsuke looked over at Kaelu. He couldn't believe he made that statement. "Wait, you're not the Angel, right? I mean, you found it, right??"

"Yeah, I'm just saying.. if I didn't," Kaelu had to look away for a moment and collect his emotions. "They would've struck, planning to extract my power or kill me if I refused."

"But you're stronger than them!"

"I may be, but that doesn't not mean I can take on an army. I would be completely overwhelmed."

"But," Atsuke remained puzzled. "But why would Shiro use me for this mission?"

"Because," Aidon answered. He pointed over at Kaelu. "He knew _he_ would one day come back to Kyoko. To Ratsuka, and when you did, he'd finally be able to test your power."

"Come back.. what are you talking about?" Kaelu asked. "I only headed back to the East for this mission. I.. I can't go back home, there's nothing left there for me."

"But there was." Aidon pressed on, grabbing both of the kids' attentions. "You two met on this mission for a reason." He coughed heavily and cleared his throat. He walked over to the window and looked out into the garden. "Minaya Oroyo was wise to abandon you."

Kaelu jumped up to his feet, yelling in objection. "My father did _not_ abandon me!" Aidon's eyes stayed on the assassin carefully. "The day of sensei's death, my father had told me to run away, to save myself. Though at the time I didn't know what, I listened to him, and I ran, and I hid, and I got far away from that place."

"Foolish," Aidon scoffed. "Your father was a foolish man, thinking he could save his family. Believing that one day, he would see his sons together."

"My father was a great man!"

"YOUR FATHER IS DEAD!" Aidon's screaming bellowed in all directions and echoed in the air. Atsuke gasped and Kaelu's eyes opened wide in shock. He clenched his hands as tight as he could, the pain shooting through his body.

"What do you know about my father..? What do you know about my family?" Kaelu readied himself, almost as if ready to attack Aidon.

The old man shook his head. "Your father ran to the suburbs, to Ruoku," Atsuke's eyes immediately shot up and he gazed over to Kaelu. The grandfather continued. "Four years after the Ratsuka incident, he was found and killed. His only remaining son had run from the scene of the crime, though the mafia had no concern with him. When the boy returned home that night, he said good-bye to his mother, packed his things, and left. Your mother felt that if he stayed, he would be the next to fall."

Atsuke's breathing picked up as he continued to look over at Kaelu, though the hired jounin was too wrapped up in Aidon's story.

"How do you know all of this..?" Kaelu was amazed by the man's knowledge.

"Because," Aidon sighed and turned to face the two boys, and he smiled, seeing them together. Something Oroyo never got to see.

"He was my son."

Kaelu gasped, at a total loss of words. As was Atsuke, who glanced over to his grandfather with disbelief. Aidon nodded slowly, then stepped towards the boys and placed his empty glass down on the table. He lumbered over to the other bed and sat himself down slowly, clearing his throat.

"When he left Konoha, he changed his family name to Minaya to get a new start on life in a very new environment. However, after the political scandal, and with a warrant for his life out there, he changed his name back to his family's blood name."

"Gasuki.." Kaelu whispered.. he looked over at Atsuke, who returned the glance. Both were equally astounded.

"_I'm going to find my big brother!.. I think he'd come here to Konoha, to see grandpa again.."_

"… To bring our family back together…" Kaelu finished Atsuke's words of the past. Atsuke slowly smiled, his eyes brightening. Neither boy could believe what was unraveling.

"Atsuke… my…" Kaelu was fumbling his words when Atsuke excitedly finished for him.

"My brother…" The happiness took over as Atsuke leaped over and hugged Kaelu for all it was worth. "Big brother!!" Atsuke clung tightly as the tears in his eyes began to form. Kaelu looked up at Aidon, who nodded slowly, cracking a smile of his own. Kaelu looked over to the younger Gasuki in his arms, and he hugged him as tightly as he could.

"My family.." a single tear escaped and rolled down his cheek.

"Little Atsuke looks up to you," Aidon reiterated. He placed a hand firmly on Kaelu's shoulder as the young jounin looked up to the great figure, his grandfather, and saw the eyes of a caring parent, a look he had searched his entire life for. "Do the right thing for yourself, and for those you love. Not what others tell you to do." Kaelu's stare grew cold as he remembered his nightmare from earlier in the day. Neji's voice echoed once again in his mind.

"_You can change your destiny.."_

"G.. grandpa.." Kaelu stuttered. It was the first time he had referred to somebody as family in years. "I must finish my mission. I cannot take the risk of failing to complete what I need to do, and having their men sent to kill me and Atsuke."

Aidon nodded "I understand."

"I must retrieve the Angel and deliver it to them, but I will not allow them to take her from her home, from her family, from her love. I will not allow her to feel anymore of that pain." Kaelu peered out the window, the view leading towards downtown Konoha.

"What about Shiro and Takeno and their men?" Atsuke reminded him. "They'll be coming back on the boat here to fetch us."

"We won't be going with them. I'll ambush them at the boat, They won't be taking me or the Angel with them." Kaelu reassured him. He stepped away form the bed and faced the other two in the room. "They may have gotten me to discover my past, but they never expected me to find family, to find a _reason_ for living my own life. And now I have." A smile crept onto his face.

"I will protect it. I will not allow them to fulfill their dreams by destroying so many others. I must fulfill my destiny."

* * *

Hinata slowly approached the front entrance of her community hand in hand with Naruto. They hadn't spoken a single word along the walk, though they had exchanged many glances. They walked into the community up to the front steps of her chambers. She stopped and turned to face her love and, now, her boyfriend, as he gazed into her eyes, still sad and watery.

"Hinata," Naruto started. "If you need to find me, you know where I live, and I'll keep my door open for you, so you can come right in. I just want you to know that if you need me to be by your side, I will gladly be there."

"Thank you, Naruto," she replied softly, speaking for the first time in hours. "I'll keep that in mind, but right now, I need some time to myself to think. My father's waiting to talk with me anyway, and I have a feeling it will be a long night. You'll be around tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," Naruto said. "The doctor said Tsunade's going to address the village tomorrow afternoon, and she expected everyone to be there. We'll meet up before then and go together."

Hinata nodded slowly. Naruto put his hand to her chin, preventing her from looking too far away. Her eyes eventually gazed up to his and he ran his fingers gently down her cheek.

"Hinata, I'm sorry, I really am.. I wish I knew what else to say, other than.." He leaned in and gave her a loving kiss on the cheek. "I love you."

She closed her eyes and brushed his cheek lightly, "I love you, too, Naruto. I'll be alright, I promise you." She took his hand in hers and squeezed it softly before wrapping her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you," she said, nuzzling her cheek to his chest one last time for the night before looking up again into his eyes. She tried to offer a smile, but her heavy emotions were too much for her as she could only frown, her beautiful eyes glowing in the night.

She leaned in and placed her lips softly upon his cheek, kissing him good-night. She knew now was not the time for that special moment. "Good-night, Naruto."

"Good-night, Hinata," He leaned in and planted one last, long kiss on her forehead before stepping back and heading away from the house. She stood there and watched him leave slowly, their eyes on each other the entire time until Naruto turned outside the concrete wall and walked out of sight.

"I love you, Naruto-kun.." she whispered to herself. She lowered her head and turned to walk to her bedroom. She knew her dad would be waiting to have a long talk, and sleep would be very hard to come by this evening, and she had already began thinking to herself about Naruto and how she wished he could be _here_ tonight, so she wouldn't be alone.

* * *

Naruto looked behind him every so often to see if she would be there, running up to him, running into his arms. He wished to himself he could've stayed, even though he new with Hiashi there, that wouldn't even be an option. Now he feared for her, that Minaya Kaelu may be after her, or anybody else he knew in the village.

He looked up to the sky, and saw merely the glow of the moon, hidden behind thick clouds. Not even the warm, summer night was complete.

Neither was Uzumaki Naruto, as he walked home tonight to the nightmares of deaths that may soon follow, of the carnage that would continue to ensue..

..and the kiss that he feared may never be..

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed, let me know what you think! Again, reviews appreciated )

Chapter 11 coming next weekend!!

s.p.


	11. A Deathly Calm

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is owned by its rightful creators, storywriters, and artists, as well as anyone I may have missed.

So I hope you've enjoyed reading thus far. We're about to journey into the final stretch of the story, so hang on tight!

-s.p.-

* * *

**The Deathly Calm**

It was three in the morning, and already a long, sleepless night for Uzumaki Naruto as he tossed and turned, saddened and lonely in his usually-comfortable bed. The memories of his childhood, from when he was a genin, continue to play in his head. He remembered the fight he had with Neji at the chuunin exams, and how difficult it was to overcome and defeat him. Hinata's words from earlier in the evening echoed alongside his memories..

_"You taught me so much… and I never got to truly… to truly thank you.."_

Naruto's eyes were dim and filled with sadness as he rolled over onto his back and stared at the dark, shadowy ceiling of his bedroom. He thought about Kaelu, and he grew angered. How he wanted nothing more than to rip that bastard limb from limb. He replayed the horrible scenes of his fight with him in his mind. Though only two days ago, it had felt like an eternity. He still hurt from time to time from sheer fatigue, and he still did not know of the condition of his long time sensei, Kakashi. Now, this killer was still on the loose and he had taken down an innocent civilian and fighter in Hyuuga Neji, though Naruto remembered the dark figure's objective clearly.

_"I can still get the answers I need by killing you. All of you."_

"The Fallen Angel," Naruto muttered to himself. "Sounds powerful, but just what is he out to prove by finding it? Not only that," Naruto stopped a moment to think carefully, trying to piece the puzzle together. "Who or what is it? And I don't understand!" Naruto shook his head, the pieces weren't quite fitting. "If he's not hesitant to kill people, how would he know if he killed the Angel or not in the process?! I mean, would the person even know what they are in the first place?" he sighed. "I'm just so confused by this."

What he _did_ remember was looking up at Minaya, paralyzed and useless and the twisted jounin proceeded to massacre his teacher and best friend. He remembered his stern, cold eyes and his threatening words to him and Sakura.

"_If you get in my way again, I will not hesitate to kill you.."_

Naruto was unmoving, still staring up at the ceiling. He shed the blankets, feeling a hot flash come over him as he lay there. "I let my guard down with him," he tried to excuse himself. "Still," he admitted. "I didn't know what he was capable of, and I fell into his trap." He shook his head. "Why am I so stupid, so ignorant?" He pulled himself up and sat up in bed, he back leaning against the near wall behind the bed. "I let my team down, and now this psycho is going to pick off my friends, one by one, until he finds this being. He's… he's a damned monster." Naruto hated that word. He avoided it as much as he could. Monster. That word was one of the ugliest to Naruto, as he had become very familiar with it over his childhood, but, as a young adult, sitting in the darkness of his room, the darkness of the atmosphere which was Konoha, was did not regret saying it about the Southern assassin.

A slight breeze blew through his window, and he was cold once again, as he lifted the blanket over his body once more and huddled underneath it. He reached over and shut the window, then looked over to his front door, wishing dearly that it would open, that Hinata would be creeping in slowly, asking to see him, to be with him, to be held by him.

He looked over at the clock on his bedside table, as he had five minutes ago, and five minutes before that, and so on. Never had a night dragged on so slowly, and never had so many thought filled his mind. He didn't know how to feel, especially considering the events that took place. He loved Hinata, and she _loves_ him back, she _loves_ him. That word brought such a magical feeling to his stomach and the butterflies were aflutter! But at the same time, he couldn't be happy. No, he wouldn't _allow_ himself to feel happy. He had lost a partner, a rival, and a friend. Hinata's loving cousin, and probably the most important family member she had.

He threw the blankets off of himself, feeling a hot flash come over his body, and he began to sweat. He threw his tshirt off and hurled it into the corner of the room. He rolled over and faced the window again. He sighed quickly and tapped his feet lightly together, impatiently, but for what? 'What the hell am I waiting for?' he asked himself.

"She's not coming, Naruto." He sighed to himself. "Give it up," he rolled over again, laying on his back, and stared up at the still cold, still dull ceiling, looking for answers. The silence of the room brought nothing, except the occasional interjection by a lonely cricket, from outside, journeying about the night.

"Hinata's probably lonely, too," he assumed. "Uuuugh!" He sat up in bed, flustered. "I can't do this. I can't leave her alone like this! She _needs_ me.." he stopped, and looked out his window once more.

"At least.. I need _her.._"

It was decided. Naruto jumped out of bed and stumbled over to the corner of the room and picked up his shirt. He flung it over his body again, not bothering to fix his hair or even put pants on. His shorts for suffice for the night. He was on a mission, and he had no time to waste.

"She's probably waiting for me," he told himself as he slipped on the second of his sandals. He swished his foot around in it until it felt comfortable, he walked over to his dresser and grabbed his keys and forehead protector, resting alongside the photo of himself and the rest of team seven, taken years ago. "Okay, I'm ready," he took a deep breath, checked his pockets for the essentials, which happened to only be his keys, and he was good to go.

He took a few quiet steps towards his door and as he reached for the doorknob, he heard and saw it turn and click. He took a step back and watched as the door slowly crept open and, to his astonishment, the love he had so truly wanted was now in his doorway.

"Hinata.." His eyes gazed upon her with wonder. What was she doing here?

"Naruto-kun, I.." her voice trailed off as she closed her eyes tightly and yawned. Naruto couldn't help but crack a smile. She was adorable. She was dressed in a purple silk button shirt and white pajama pants with a baby blue outline. In her arms she held a white, down pillow, basically cuddling it, hiding the bottom half of her face behind it.

"What are you doing here, Hinata? I'm already worried about you, and it's late. If your father finds out that you skipped out, you might be in bi-"

"My father knows I'm here," she interrupted, putting a finger to Naruto's lips. "We talked about.. tonight, and how we felt."

"I see.." Naruto shook his head, forgetting his manners. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, come on in!" he motioned her to follow him. He led her into his bedroom. "Have a seat on the bed," he offered. She nodded her head, and with a soft 'thank you', she placed her pillow neatly behind her and sat down on the bed. Naruto sat down by her side slowly, and he hesitated to make any movement closer to her."

"So what happened with your father?"

Hinata sighed and looked at the floor. "It was a long talk.. we talked about family, and about.. about Neji," she took a long, deep breath. She looked at Naruto, "I promise I won't cry."

Naruto slowly put his arm around her. "If you need to, it's fine. That's what I'm here for."

"Thanks," Hinata cracked a smile. "Anyway," she went on. "We talked about Neji and what he had done for not only us but for the village, and.. well, he's a hero. He died protecting us, and he left me with the courage to believe in myself. Courage that, months ago, I didn't think I'd ever recover. You see," she lifted up her sleeve and showed Naruto her left arm. There was enough moonlight for Naruto to see, and, upon closer examination, he found the scar on her arm.

"That scar," Naruto said. "Hinata, when..?"

"I.." she looked away from him and lowered her voice. "I did that myself, Naruto."

"Hinata.." he was shocked. "Why would you do such a thing?" He ran his fingers over her arm and lightly massaged the scar and the area around it. "Does it hurt?"

"No, it's fine," she replied. "I've been a wreck without you, Naruto, and Neij knew that, and he had helped me through so many things. Whether it was my training, stress in my personal life, or simple household tasks, he was always willing to lend a helping hand. If he was around, of course. I don't know where I'd be right now if it weren't for him," she smiled, warmly, truly, for the first time all night since the horrible news. "I don't even think I'd be alive if it weren't for him.."

"Hinata, don't say that." Naruto responded. "You're strong, Hinata."

"No," she said. "I haven't always been. I barely _have_ been. I've been so.. so dependant lately and I'm just sick of it at times. As grateful as I am to have friends willing to help me and.. family supporting me, I want to be able to take care of myself, to stand up for myself and my beliefs." She clenched her fists, her voice raising and carrying throughout the room. "I want to have people respect me for who I am, not who I was." She reached over and gently placed her hand over Naruto's. "And that's what I did tonight."

"What do you mean by that?" Naruto was puzzled.

"Well, my father asked me what I felt I needed."

'Oh no!' Naruto thought. 'Her father? She snuck out, I _know_ she did!' He began to guess to himself. He kept his cool, wanting to hear what she had to say.

"What did you tell him?"

After a long pause, Hinata moved her eyes over to Naruto, to his face, and she reached up and lightly stroked his cheek. "I told him the truth, Naruto-kun. I told him that I needed you. That I needed your company tonight, and that you were the only one that would be able to keep me from possibly doing.. uhm.. something I would regret.."

"Hinata," it pained him to hear her speak like that. She was truly, truly depressed, and his stomach began to twist and turn at the thought of her acting out in the wrong ways. He thought of the scar on her arm and could only imagine how that came to be, and he had to shake the thought from his head. It hurt too much.

"You told your father?" He kept cool. "He wasn't okay with it, was he? I mean.. I'm not even in your bloodline and, well.." Naruto looked away for a moment. "I'm sure he thinks I'm some kind of demon or monster.."

"Naruto, that's not true at all!" Hinata corrected him. "I mean, yeah, you're not in my bloodline, and yeah, you haven't had the greatest past.. but.." Hinata tilted Naruto's chin so he would look at her. "But Neji had told my father a lot of.. of great things about you, Naruto-kun, and my father took Neji's word very seriously and very strongly.

"So.. you said you needed… _me_?" Naruto was touched. He loved her more and more by the minute.

"Yeah.. and.." she blushed immensely. "I told him I..."

"You.. what?"

She whispered, "I told him I love you."

Naruto jumped back, letting go of her a moment. "You did what?!" Hinata moved her finger back to his lips, and he kept quiet.

"It's okay, Naruto. Yes, I told him. I told him everything about how I feel," she, to Naruto's amazement, very perfectly calm. She, actually, was growing more and more excited. She had good news she was willing to share with Naruto, and it was getting close to the good part. "He said that, though he doesn't completely agree, that he won't take away from me something, or somebody, that I love and need in my life. He told me that if I'm to love you, Naruto, then.. well.." She smiled, turning deep red. "Then, I'm to love you."

Naruto couldn't believe it. Her father was okay with her loving him! Alright, well maybe not _okay.._ but certainly more than he had expected.

"You came all the way here to.. to tell me this, Hinata?"

"Well, not only that," she continued. "I'm.. I mean, I was going to ask if I may spend the night here."

"Wait, here?? Does your father know you're here?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes, he does. I asked if I could invite you back to my community to keep me company and he suggested that I just come here." She tapped her fingers lightly as she explained the situation. "He said that if I need a night or two to keep up my spirits, then he'll allow it, but.." she stopped.

"But what?" Naruto leaned in and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand lightly.

"He's.. he's trusting you with me, Naruto," she blushed. "He's worried that we'll.. well, be teenagers, like we are.. and I can't disrespect him, Naruto. I won't.

Naruto blinked in confusion a couple of times. "Wait, are you talking about…? Hinata, nodded slowly. "Sweetheart," he said softly, that word echoing lightly through her head as if a God-send. "I can only imagine how important that is to you, and I wouldn't dare disrespect you, or your father, for that matter." She smiled in relief. "Can you imagine, though? How mad he would get?" Hinata nodded and cracked a smile. She found amusement in her father's antics at times. She had always said he didn't know how to get mad, and when he tried, it almost always brought a laugh to her and Hanabi.

"What happened with your father, though, Hinata? Didn't you and him used to not get along a while back?"

"Well, as we got older, my sister Hanabi and I bonded more and more, as I felt we needed to. There is a lot of pressure for success in our clan, and as two sisters of the main branch, I guess you could say we were able to relate more and more as time went by," Hinata smiled. "As her, Neji and I grew closer, the bond between my father and the three of us began to develop once more. He became more approachable, and he became more willing to help us out when we needed it." She gazed over at Naruto. "Can you believe there used to be a time where he wanted nothing to do with me?" she laughed, thinking about it. "I mean, he practically gave me to Kurenai-sensei!"

Naruto shook his head, "You never told me that."

"I was ashamed, Naruto. Can you blame me?" he shook his head. "Anyway, Neji became more involved with the main family and he and my father had grown very close. They shared a lot, and Neji was being the son that daddy never had."

Naruto giggled softly. "Daddy?" Hinata lightly hit him on the arm. "I'm sorry, I'm joking. Please, keep going."

Hinata smirked at his joke, "Well, Neji had explained to my father how I was feeling, how stressed I was, how upset I had been. He told my father that I just wanted to feel loved, to feel like I could do something, anything I wanted."

"And it worked?"

"Amazingly," Hinata responded, her voice fluttering slightly. "I guess Neji was able to change his heart for the better.. just like.." her eyes returned to his, bright and full of life. "Just like you.. were able to change Neji's." Naruto smiled.

"Hey, Hinata," his smile faded. "For what it's worth.. I'm really sorry to hear about Neji, and I just want you to know that your family has my support and my thoughts."

"I understand, Naruto. I know, and they know, and thank you," she ran her hand through his hair lightly. "But I'm trying to keep my mind off of the sadness, away from the depression. Neji meant a lot to me, as he did for a lot of people, but I want to spend my time remembering him, not mourning. He wouldn't want me to."

Naruto gazed at her wonderously. He couldn't believe the courage she was showing.

"I mean, I'll admit I miss him terribly already, and it hurts so much, Naruto. It really does.. but.. but I just don't think I can cry anymore. It's not that I don't want to, I feel like I just.. can't. When I try, I feel this horrible pain, and I feel that, in a way, it's telling me not to cry anymore." Naruto rubbed her back gently, and she coughed to herself. "Thanks," she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry if my mood isn't helping you, but.."

He waited a few seconds for her to finish, but then he asked. "But what?"

The smile broke from her lips. "I just.." Her eyes brightened what seemed to be the entire room. "I just wanted to tell my… my boyfriend what's going on in my life."

He couldn't contain his smile. _Boyfriend._ He was her _boyfriend_. That word excited him, and he leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"Well, I'm glad you told me all of this, Hinata." He nodded and continued to run his hand up and down her back. She shuddered to herself at his touch, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. "You're welcome here as long as you feel you'd like to stay."

"Thanks," she replied, grateful to his kindness. It had killed her inside, just a little, that she couldn't say she'd be here forever, especially because she wanted to be.

"Naruto-kun?"

"Yes, Hinata?" Their eyes met in a long, caring glance.

"I love you," her words, though gentle and whispered, meant the world to him. He lifted her chin off of his shoulder lightly and he turned to face her more, smiling back.

"I love you, too." She smiled and leaned in ever so slowly towards him. In spite of everything that had happened tonight, he didn't know what to do.

"Hinata," he whispered. "Love, I.. are you.. do you..?"

She nodded once and continued to draw closer to him, her eyes closing with every bit closer she got to him. "I want this, Naruto. Please, give me what I've wanted for so long."

His hand let her chin up as he motioned closer towards Hinata. He closed his eyes and, out of nervous habit, licked his lips quickly, as they had been pretty dry.

"I love you, Hinata," he had reminder her through a whisper as their noses now touched. He slightly parted his lips and awaited hers with much anticipation. She leaned in the last little bit as she expressed her love back to him in the faintest of whispers..

.. and in the most gentle of kisses.

Their lips had met tenderly on this moonlight night, just as shy and timidly the two youngsters had first met many years ago. Hinata wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck as he placed his arms on her back at the same time, one around her neck, the other further down her back. Naruto pressed his lips harder against hers as that first kiss began a string of many as the young couple embraced this beautiful moment with a happiness they would never be able to describe.

Hinata ran her hand through Naruto's hair and she tugged at it gently as she continued to kiss her prince charming. Naruto planted kiss after kiss onto her lips, parting his own more and more with each passing moment. She was quick to react as she opened her own mouth slightly more to accommodate, kissing him more deeply. After a couple of seconds, she parted, turning slightly to his cheek, exhaling heavily.

"Naruto-kun," she said, half moaning, half out of breath. She immediately tilted her head back to kiss him a couple more times. Once she had gotten her fill, she broke the kissing and leaned forward, resting her cheek against his. As numb as her mouth had felt, she kissed his cheek and then nuzzled her cheek to his warmly. "I love you.. my Naruto-kun."

He grinned widely and turned, kissing her cheek, and holding her very tightly in his arms. "We should get some sleep," he suggested. "We have to be at Tsunade's address early tomorrow."

"Yeah," Hinata agreed. That's all she really did, though, was reply, for she was too high on Cloud Nine to really grasp what Naruto had said.

He let go of her briefly and threw his arms up in the air and stretched them out, yawning out loud. Hinata watched him, giggling. She found it cute how he was acting. He positioned himself against the wall in his bed, giving Hinata as much space as she needed. She smiled and, blushing, got herself cozy under his covers. She brought her knees up and basically curled herself up, facing Naruto. Naruto blushed and laughed to himself.

"You're not going to kick me, are you?"

Hinata laughed and leaned forward, kissing his cheek. "I'll be careful." He smiled and ran his fingers through her hair once more and, again, she nuzzled his hand like a cat. He grinned and stole a kiss from an unsuspecting and tired Hinata. Her cheeks turned red as she covered her mouth and yawned to herself. Naruto placed his hand onto her cheek, smiling.

"Goodnight, Hinata-chan."

She closed her eyes and prepared herself for the journey that her and her boyfriend were about to take into their dream worlds.

"Goodnight, Naruto-kun."

* * *

"So, any update on Minaya?" He looked up at Tsunade, who stood with clipboard in hand as she stepped from the doorway towards him. He was bandaged up, sore in _many_, many places, but thankful to be alive. The operation had been a success, and he knew it. He could move his hands and feet, and he was even told he could be comfortably standing within the next day or so.. but his own well-being, however, was _not_ his concern. 

"It is unclear where his current location is, though we are working hard on tracking down possible sheltering areas both inside and outside the village. Regardless, he's become a great danger to our society." She turned back towards him with a grave look. "Tonight, we have lost Hyuuga Neji to his terrible doings."

Kakashi's eyes opened wide. "Neji was.. taken down?" His mouth quivered at that thought. He had known Neji to be one of the strongest ninja in the village. "That's certainly very.. very tragic.."

Tsunade nodded. "His family has been informed, as will the rest of the village tomorrow when I address our community in a state of emergency.

Kakashi sat up painfully in bed, picking his comforter up with him. The recovery room was air conditioned and, with the lack of commotion about the area, it had gotten very cold. "What are our options? I mean, we can't sit back and allow this infiltrator to take us down one by one."

The Hokage placed her clipboard down on the table next to the bed and pounded her right fist into her open palm. "A complete eviction of all visitors to Konoha. We have about fourteen non-residents currently staying within the limits of our village, and they will all be asked to leave within twenty-four hours of my statement. Konoha will be on lockdown until a crack in this case is found, and we will investigate and put an end to these senseless killings.

"They're after the Angel," Kakashi reminded her. She stayed silent, sighing and shaking her head.

"I don't care what he's after, Kakashi. We have taken two serious blows in the last three days, and who knows when this will end? This murderer needs to be found and eliminated.

His eyes dimmed. He looked back up at Tsunade. "How's my team?"

"They've both made almost full recoveries. Naruto's due in for a check-up tomorrow morning. He just woke up earlier this evening from his drug-induced sleep. The aftershock of the battle left a lasting mark on his spine and his chakra system, but if finishes up the treatment, he'll be well enough to return to duty by the end of this week."

"And Sakura?"

"She suffered a severe piercing wound to her stomach by a lightning strike. We were able to close the wound and repair her internal organs, but the new patch of skin on her stomach and back is still very fragile and _very_ tender, as it hasn't completely developed it's purpose. She's going to need a little more time before she can get back in the swing of things. I'd say a week or so," Tsunade picked up her clipbord and began to walk out of the room.

"Tsunade, wait!" She stopped in the doorway, not turning around to face him.

"What is it?"

Kakashi paused a moment as he sighed to himself. "Will I be able to return to my duties?"

Tsunade remained quiet for a long time as she took a deep breath and, holding it briefly, exhaled, letting her stress and pressure go with it.

"I can't answer that right now, Kakashi. Just get some rest for now. It's three in the morning, and I'm just as tired as anyone else around here. I'm calling it a night."

Kakashi nodded, "Okay then." She left the room with no more than a peep, as he heard her footsteps disappear down the hall. He turned to look at his window. "Naruto, Sakura.. I'm sorry, guys.. " He opened and closed his fists very gently, feeling for pain, which there was none.

"Minaya Kaelu," he muttered to himself. His mind flashbacked to the young jounin standing weakly underneath him as his charged hand flew up at his spine, hitting with that final, painful blow.

"_Shock Helix!!"_

Kakashi winced, still feeling the sting of that attack. He put his hand behind him and ran his fingers up the bottom of his spine, up as far as he could reach.

"Artificial.." he told himself, his pride somewhat hurt by that word. The last thing he remembered was Tsunade leaning over him, ordering the doctors around her to get him on his stomach before he willingly succumbed to Shizune's genjutsu. He felt the bumps on his spine where the new material had been added and attached to his cord. The thought began to sicken him.

"I'm.. artificial.. I'm _more_ artificial.." he sighed to himself, shaking his head, resting his arm once again at his side. "What's happening to you, Kakashi?" He asked himself aloud. "You're the son of the White Fang, himself.. and here _you_ are, struggling to stay alive, being kept alive by these artificial parts like some _f--king robot!!"_ He picked the glass of water up from his table and hurled it into the far wall of the recovery wall. The glass shattered upon impact, easing some of the anger building in his mind. He took a couple of deep breaths and rolled over onto his side. His forlorn glance gazed out into the hallway.

"Is being kept alive actually _living.._?" He asked himself, slowly closing his eyes. Images of Naruto and Sakura flashed into his mind, and, upset with himself and the world, he drifted off, painstakingly, into a deep a much needed sleep.

* * *

Aidon clutched his cup of tea as he sat in the darkness of his living room. He hadn't fallen asleep, nor did he get any decent sleep the night before. His rocking chair creaked very lightly as it held him in it on this warm, humid evening. He coughed very heavily and his pounded his chest furiously afterwards, clearing his throat. He ached, and, aside from his consistent tea drinking, he was losing his appetite. He coughed again and looked towards the staircase, thinking about his two grandsons, and how they were at peace, sleeping the night away. 

He closed his eyes and sighed, leaned back in his chair, his face facing the sky.

"I'm glad they're here, Oroyo. It has certainly made it worth my while." He opened his eyes and looked over to the mantel over his fireplace, and, as dark as it was, he could still pick out his wedding photo, standing tall in the center of the gallery. He smiled.

"It's been a long time, Kasumi," he gazed into his wife's smile and a tear rolled down his cheek. He grinned, sipped his tea, and held up his glass, toasting it to her.

"I'll be home soon.."

* * *

He awoke to feel her lips softly planted to his forehead. He opened his eyes as she leaned back, eyes bright, smiling at him. 

"Hehe," she giggled. "Good morning, Naruto-kun." She ran her hand through his hair.

He blushed. "Good morning, Hinata." He reached and took her chin lightly, pulling her towards him and he gave her a quick smooch on the lips.

"Sleep well?" She sat up and stretched her arms up towards the sky, grunting and groaning as groaning as she tried to greet the morning.

"Very," he replied. "Especially because I had some very nice company." She smiled, blushing at his remark. She stood up and walked over to the window opposite the bed and peered outside. Naruto scoot over to the center of the bed and stretched in place, body now sprawled across the frame. He looked over at her, rubbing his eyes.

"It's beautiful outside," she said quietly. She turned back to face her love. "Tsunade's address to the public is this afternoon, right?"

"Yeah," Naruto responded. "What time is it now?"

Hinata peered through the doorway and looked into the kitchen, where a ramen bowl-shaped clock hung on the wall. "It's a little bit after ten." She walked slowly back over to the bed and sat down by him, pecking him on the cheek. He smiled and returned the kiss to her own, then he slowly put his arm around her and hugged her tightly.

"Would you want to grab something to eat?"

She thought for a second, putting her finger to her lip and looking up to the ceiling, but then shook her head.

"No thanks. I want to get back home and get ready for the day. I'm going to take a nice hot bath and get dressed into some actual clothes." She picked at her night shirt and laughed, as did Naruto. "Don't you have your check-up this morning anyway? You should get yourself ready as well."

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot!" Naruto jumped out of bed and began to roll his neck and shoulders, loosening his body up. "Thanks for reminding me. I'm going to head over to the main bath house now." He walked over to his drawer and grabbed clothing from each of the drawers and put together his outfit for the day. He was going with summer attire today, grabbing a white T-shirt, black shorts and black sandals. He looked back to his girlfriend, who was attentively watching him. "Would.. would you like me to walk you home?"

She shook her head. "Thanks, Naruto, but we both are pretty busy this morning, and I'm pretty out of the way if you're going to the bath house and then the hospital. I think it would just be better if I met you before the address. I could meet you at the hospital if you'd like."

"I don't know how long my check-up will be, but I'll get there as soon as I can."

Hinata stood up in front of him and caressed his cheek lightly. "Don't take a quick bath?"

"I guess I could," he joked. "I won't have anybody to distract me." She blushed heavily and he smiled and leaned forward, planting a light kiss on her. "How long will you take to get ready? I mean, I could just head over to your house when my check-up is done."

She nodded, "That actually might work better. I like to take my time, and I wouldn't want to keep you waiting at the hospital or around the village with nothing to do." They began to walk towards the front door, hand in hand. He opened the door and walked downstairs and into the streets of Konoha.

"I'll be at your house at noon, honey. Is that enough time?" He asked, taking a step towards the bath house but not wanting to let go of her hand.

"More than enough. I'll be ready and waiting," She smiled. She tugged at his arm and pulled her towards her with enough force that he stumbled into her open arms, and she embraced him tightly. The sunlight shone down upon them as it had just begun to peer over the building on this already-hot summer morning.

Naruto pulled away slightly, holding her at her arms, so that he could gaze into her eyes once more before heading on his way. Sakura was heading down the street behind Hinata, though he didn't notice. Sakura stopped and leaned against the building a couple of houses down, watching from a distance. She was a little worried about approaching Hinata, because the last time she did was anything but good news, but seeing her two friends embrace made it a little easier to acknowledge.

His hand ran down her cheek and her neck, and she closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying every second of his affection. "I love you, Hinata." She inhaled deeply, took his hand into her own and kissed it gently.

"I love you, Naruto-kun." She leaned up onto her toes and, closing her eyes again, planted a deep kiss onto his soft lips. Naruto closed his eyes and held her by her neck very gently, embracing the kiss and holding it for a few seconds.

Behind them, Sakura stood, blushing, her hand up to her own cheek, hiding her smile. "Hinata," she soft to herself. "I love you, girl. I'm so… so happy for you. You deserve it."

Naruto gently broke the kiss and smiled at the gorgeous young woman in his arms. He couldn't ever remember being this happy, but he was going to save telling her that for a later time. He turned once again towards his destination and offered Hinata a small wave.

"Don't miss me too much," he joked as he began to walk away.

"I won't, Naruto-kun." She bowed slightly and held her hand up in a slight wave back to him. She began to walk back home and, after a couple of seconds, she turned back to Naruto and yelled out to him.

"I love you!" He turned back, smiled, and blew a kiss back to her before heading on his way again.

She was frozen in place, watching him go on his way. "He's so… he's so perfect…" she said happily to herself. "He's so wonderful, he's so caring.. and he's… and he's.."

"And he's yours." Hinata gasped. She knew the voice. She turned around and ran into her friend and sister's arms as Sakura happily embraced her.

They squealed to each other for a moment as Sakura swung her around once, hugging her incredibly tightly and kissing her on her cheek. Sakura eyed her friend up and down and chuckled "Nice jammies." Hinata laughed, embarrassed and tried to escape her frien'ds grip jokingly.

After putting her down, Sakura's smile disappeared and she held Hinata in front of her, her arms over her shoulders. "Hinata… I'm.. I'm sorry, Hinata, about last night.."

Hinata looked away a moment, her emotions crashing down to Earth. "It's alright, Sakura.. I'm trying not to be sad about Neji. He died with honor, as a hero to me, to you, to everybody." Sakura offered a slight smile.

"As sad as I am, I know that, in my heart, he would want me to try and live my life, the same way he's pushed me to all this time, and I can't let him down. Because I know he's up there, watching me even right now!"

A tear rolled down Sakura's cheek. "Hinata, I'm so.. I'm so proud of you. You've become so strong, and you've blossomed and matured in a way that I honestly never thought you could, and I'm just so happy and so proud of you. I'm sure Neji's just as happy," she kissed her friend's forehead and smiled brightly into her eyes. "And he'll always be watching over you." Hinata smiled and threw her arms around her friend.

"Thank you, Sakura.. I'm so lucky to have people like you and Naruto in my life."

"Anytime, babe," she nodded. "Oh, so anyway.. about Naruto.. I'm guessing the talk went well?"

"You bet!" Hinata shouted. "I.. I actually got to spend the night. It was amazing!"

"Wait, you spent the night over there?? Oh my God, that's so amazing, that's wonderful!" She hugged her again. "I saw you kiss him, it was the cutest thing ever!!" They squealed again. "So how was it?"

Hinata blushed, "It.. it was incredible. It was the warmest feeling I have ever felt, and.. and at the same time, I got shivers and goosebumps and, oh, it was just amazing! It was exactly what I needed, Sakura! It really was, and when we first kissed, I felt like everything was going to be okay. Despite everything that's happened with.." her smile disappeared. "..with everybody, I felt for once that, in the end, everything will be okay.. that for once, my life has meaning. I felt so alive!"

Sakura smiled and put her arm around her friend. "I know things have been really really rough on you lately.. I can only imagine how great it made you feel." She laughed, "I'm actually kinda jealous." She reached over and messed with Hinata's hair slightly. "Hey, I'm thinking you should get your hair cut. I think it would look a lot cuter the way it used to be, and I'm sure Naruto would love it."

"I don't want to cut it _too_ short, Sakura. I mean, I've kept it neat and layered, but I haven't taken any length off since I was a genin!"

"Well, I think you'd look adorable." Sakura ran her fingers through her friend's hair. "You can do so many things with this, you have beautiful hair, Hinata! And, well.." She leaned in to whisper, even though nobody else was around. "Between you an' me? Naruto loves girls with short hair."

She gasped and responded loudly. "He does?!"

"Shhh," she motioned for Hinata to be quieter. "Yes, he does. Trust me, if he saw you with your old hairdo he'd be thrilled. One of these days, surprised him with it!"

Hinata giggled, "Okay, okay, I will. But only if you help me!"

Sakura jumped for joy, "Not a problem, girlie. Hair's one thing I know! So, where are you going?"

"Back home, to my community bath. Naruto is meeting me at noon and I need to get out of my pj's and ready for the day." Hinata pointed to her pajama pants, laughing to herself

"Sounds like a plan!"

"Hey," Hinata said. "Want to join me? I could always use the company and I'll tell you more about how my night went."

Sakura gasped. "Hinata! You didn't!"

"No!! Of _course_ I didn't!!" She gently swung at her friend's arm, laughing. "Come on, Sakura, I'm sure you want to know everything."

"When don't I?"

* * *

"Uzumaki Naruto," the young boy pronounced to the lady behind the desk. "I'm here for my check-up with Nurse Kichio." 

"Ah, Naruto! Just in time, Nana Kicho has actually _just _punched in." He looked over to the clock. It read 11:02 AM.

"Good timing," he agreed. As much as he had hated hospital visits, he _loved_ check-ups with Nana Kichio. She was probably the oldest nurse on the Konoha medical staff, and she was always on time and always really quick and efficient with her check-ups. She was like the grandmother he never had.

The receptionist pressed a paging button on the phone along her desk. "Nana Kichio-san?" She waited patiently. "Please excuse me a moment, Naruto. You know how Kichio-san is, she's always about the wards and never stays in her office. I'll try once more in a moment and if she's not there, I'll message her via the PA system. After a few seconds, a beep returned to the phone and an elderly voice spoke from the speaker.

"What is it, dearie? I was just about to step out." The voice was sweet and very polite for just having gotten to work.

"Uzumaki Naruto is here for his treatment check-up."

"Oooh! Naruto, huh? How pleasant!" Her voice beamed. "Tell him to wait right there, actually no! Tell him to go to 211B, I'll meet him there, hehe! Hurry now, Naruto!" Then, they heared a click, and she was gone.

"So pleasant," he said as the receptionist nodded in agreement. "Thank you, I'll be on my way up now," he walked over to the elevator.

"You know where it is, right?"

"Please," he joked. "With all the crap I've been through since becoming a ninja, that room's practically my second home!" The receptionist laughed at his remark as he disappeared behind the elevator door.

When the doors re-opened, he found himself on the second floor, where most of the rooms are for therapies and treatments, were. Down the far end of the hall, towards the opposite side of the building were a few recovery rooms, but not many. These were usually reserved for critical care patients. And he had wondered for a moment if Kakashi was still in one of them or if he had been moved upstairs. He figured he'd ask Nana after his treatment.

He stepped into the empty room, and his eyes moved back and forth around the room. He walked over to the patient's table and propped himself onto it, waiting for the nurse to arrive. In the mean time, he kept himself busy reading all of the educational posters around the room. He found many of these interesting and he seemed to pay more attention to the charts and displays rather than the words from his academy books. He had started with the nervous system, then to the chakra system, and he had just finished reading the one about sight and the human eye. He looked across the room, and on the other table, there were informational pamphlets. Now, he had never really paid attention to these before, because he had considered them "reading" material, but one had caught his eye this time around. He hopped off of the bed and walked over to the multicolored pamphlets. The one he eyed was blue with bright white lettering and it said "Knowing Your Body." Now normally, he would scoff and say he knows everything there is to know, but that would be for the males' pamphlet, which was the green one next to it. The blue one was oriented for females, and, all things considering, this had completely caught Naruto's interest.

"Well," he chuckled. "Might as well kill time." He went to reach for the pamphlet when he heard a voice behind him.

"What'cha interested in, my boy?" a shaky, elderly voice asked out. Naruto, startled, jumped away from the table. He glanced over at the little old lady and cracked a rather embarrassed smile.

"Uhm, nothing! Nothing! Just looking to see what you had over here, ma'am."

"Mmm-hmm. If you say so," She smiled warmly. "how are you, my dear?"

"I'm doing alright, Nana. Feeling so much better as of late. How are you?"

"Same ol', dearie. Old, but alive and kickin!" She threw a couple of punches in the air, laughing to herself. "You know, Naruto. I'm eighty-two years old and I'm as fit as I was at sixty! It feels good waking up every morning just knowing you're alive and you can see another sunrise!"

"Yeah," Naruto frowned, thinking of Neji. "It must.. it must be nice."

"Come now, dearie, you _must_ know the feeling!"

"I do," he replied. "But.. Neji.. my friend."

"Oh," she stopped. "Oh dear, that's right? Aw I'm so terribly sorry, Naruto. Neji was a good kid, and he will be missed, no douby. He _will_ be missed. But life moves on, as it must. Unfortunately, sorrow doesn't stop for anybody! Now, where were we.."

Kichio smiled and walked over to the counter and opened a drawer, revealing hundreds of color-coded folders, one for each of her patients. "Nope, not in here." She closed the drawer and pulled open the one below it. As Naruto seared himself atop the table again. "A-ha!" She grabbed a folder, colored with the letters "UZU" on the corner and she flung it open. "So, Naruto, this treatment is for aftershock treatment, right?" She shook her head. "Ohhh, I heard you had a nasty fall the other day, I'm glad to see you're on your feet!"

"Nothing keeps me down for long, believe it!" He laughed out loud to himself, and Kichio smiled and walked slowly to the other smaller cabinet and pulled out a tiny bottle with a syringe on the inside. "I'm guessing," he gulped. "That shot is for me?"

"Yes, indeedy!" She remarked. "When your body converts chakra, it takes the energy you obtain from an unknown source and converts it at the Heart Gate into your own energy. However, when unknown or foreign chakra strays throughout a person's body without being converted, it can be dangerous to the body, as it's nature will affect your internal systems from the inside out. Because your opponent was a raijutsu user, his chakra consists mainly of electrical patterns and energies, understand?" Naruto nodded his head. He was actually getting this!

"The remainder of the electromagnetic chakra which has not been converted is still infesting your body, shocking various points of your chakra system that it reaches, causing a painful sting to any of your main chakra release points."

"So," Naruto replied. "That would explain the occasional stinging and numbness I still get."

"Exactly," Kichio answered. "You're being electrocuted from the inside out." She held up the medicine bottle to Naruto.. "This is antalysis. It fights any harmful chakra that may stray within your body, destroying it. This is your personal antalysis, as the cells were taken from your body to create the aintodote. Whatever it doesn't destroy, the antibodies will convert it, using your own DNA, into your own chakra."

"Wow, that can really do that??" Naruto asked, amazed.

"Yes," Nana replied. "But it's a long process. It will be done in seven sessions: left arm, right arm, left leg, right leg, chest, torso, and head. Once every week, for the next seven weeks, you will be injected with a dose of Antalysis to fight the static charge in that specific area of your body until it is completely eliminated. This week, we will start with the left arm and work from there."

"Will it hurt?"

"The needle will sting," Nana said honestly, "but the treatment itself is painless. The only side effect is that you'll be very tired. Your body will tire very easily while you're under the treament. Consider it like you're the battlefield and there's a battle going on in your body."

"I see," Naruto said, staring at the clock on the wall. It read 11:20. "How long after each injection will the treatment last?"

"About six hours."

"That's fine," Naruto said. He knew now that today might be a long day. "So nothing too strenuous during that time?"

"It would be recommended that way, yes."

"Alright," Naruto rolled the sleeve of his T-shirt up to his shoulder and held it in place. Nana twisted the cap off of the bottle and removed the needle, pumping a full dose of Antalysis into it. She took a piece of cotton and rubbed disinfectant on his forearm. Then she checked the needle for proper output, then she took his left hand as he began to tense.

"This will only sting for a second, Naruto. Hold on, okay?"

He had to look away, "yes, ma'am." He clenched his fists and grit his teeth as he felt a sharp sting on his arm. "Ow!" he winced and tensed up his body. His left arm began to shake. As brave as he may be as a ninja, Naruto still held a grudge with needles. He felt the cool liquid slowly enter his system, and it was a weird feeling that made his arm tingle and his whole body shudder.

Nana withdrew the needle from his body slowly. "There, all done for today." She reached into her pocket and grabbed a bamdage and placed it over his arm where the needle had gone. "If you feel any discomfort, I want you to come back immediately. I'm sure you know this isn't something to fool around with."

"I know Nana," he flexed his arm slightly, trying to ease a little bit of the sting. "Thank you so much," he fixed his shirt and got up from his seat slowly, and began to walk out of the office when he stopped and turned back to the old woman. "Nana, do you know if Kakashi-sensei is still down the hall or has he been moved upstairs?"

"He's still in the same room down the hall, but he has requested no visitors for today. If you're interested in seeing him, he'll be at the address this afternoon, so your best bet would be to see him there."

"Okay," Naruto nodded in understanding. "Thanks, Nana"

"Anytime, Naruto. Now, remember. Take it easy today, no working out on treatment days, understand?" Nana pointed her finger at the young shinobi and he nodded, giving her a thumbs up.

"Of course! I'll see you next week!" He ran out of the room, looking at the clock as he passed by it. It continued to sit on the wall, ticking away, now reading 11:30.

He ran out the main entrance so fast the automatic doors almost hit him, barely opening fast enough for his exit. He ran as fast as he could down the street, avoiding numerous pedestrians along his stampede, but, within minutes, he had arrived at the entrance to the Hyuuga community. He came to a halt and, breathing heavily, he peered into the gated community, nervous and anxious. He assumed Hinata might still be in the bath hall as he _was_ early, so he took a few steps in and saw down patiently on the bench along the open training area. It had appeared deserted as his eyes shifted back and forth, desperately looking for any sign of life in the area. It was a while before a door had opened on the far side of the community and he peered down the road to see if it was Hinata. Sure enough, two young teenagers emerged from the house, talking and laughing their way back towards the main entrance. Naruto immediately recognized both of them, and he began to walk towards them, waving. Sakura saw him and tapped Hinata on the shoulder, pointing forward. Even from far away, Hinata's eyes connected with Naruto's, and she began to sprint towards him. Naruto's swile grew wider and he picked up his own pace towards his girlfriend. She held her arms out and upon reaching him, held him in a big, loving hug. Naruto looked at her and smiled, then he brushed her hair from his own face.

"Your hair's still wet," he laughed. He looked up and saw Sakura waving, taking her sweet time behind her friend.

"Sorry, Naruto," she said, moving her bangs from her face. "How did the check-up go?

"It went alright. Hey, Sakura," he waved again as his pink-haired sister joined Hinata's side. He turned back to Hinata to finish his explanation. "The nurse said I have to go back once a week for seven weeks for the last of my treatment. I won't be able to train on those days, though."

"Ehh, you'll live!" Sakura exclaimed, patting him on the back. She kept his hand at his shoulder.

"Where's Oroyo today?" Naruto asked. Sakura shook her haid.

"I'm not sure, but I'm sure he'll turn up eventually. He always does. I bet we'll see him and his little brother at the address." Sakura pointed in the direction of the Center Building, where Tsunade said she would be making a roof-top address to the public.

"Hey," Sakura turned to her friends. "You hungry?"

"Actually, yeah." He said. "Are you guys?"

"I haven't eaten since dinner last night," Hinata said softly. "I'm starving."

"Well," Sakura concluded. "We have an hour. Let's go grab some lunch somewhere!"

"Sounds good." Naruto kept his arm around Hinata and she did the same as the three of them strolled out into the streets of Konoha in search of food.

"Let's go to the steakhouse," Sakura suggested. "They always serve big portions and their food is always fantastic!"

"That's a great idea!" Hinata replied. "What do you say, Naruto-kun?" She traced her finger down his chest. "We can make this a lovely lunch date, don't you think?"

"Yeah," he nodded, though he was clearly in the mood for something else. The girls made sure, however, that he would have no say.

"Why don't we go grab some ra-"

"No!!"

* * *

As always, comments appreciated. 

I'm going away on vacation from the 11th of August until the 17th. I _will_ be working on Chapter 12 whilst away, but it may not be posted until I return. As of right now, I will aim to have the Chapter posted no later than 11pm (EST) on the 17th, so I hope to see everybody then! Cheers!!

s.p.


	12. Harsh Reality

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is owned by the respective owners, writers, and staff. Kudos.

We're coming into the final turn of events before the climax, so hang in there, everybody! This is where things will get more and more intense, and the pace will be picking up quite a bit! As always, comments appreciated.

Thanks again to all my readers. I hope you all continue to read and continue to enjoy what has been a thrill for me to write. Enjoy Chapter 12!

--s.p.

* * *

**Harsh Reality**

The town was all abustle as the hundreds of shinobi migrated towards the heart of town, to the Central Building of Konoha, where Tsunade's address would finally be made. Ninja young, old, and in training were all on hand to witness this first address since the coronation of Princess Tsunade as the Fifth Hokage of the Leaf Village. Naruto had arrived just on time with Hinata, and was towards the back of the growing crowd of people. He looked around and realized that basically everyone from the town was here, scattered throughout the nearby streets. It took him a while to pick out Sakura in the massive crowd, but after a minute or so, he located her right near the building of which Tsunade stood. She was with Oroyo, of course, as the two of them kept their eyes up on Sakura's sensei, waiting patiently for the address to begin. Atsuke was not with his older brother, and he had guessed that the little guy was staying home with his grandpa.

He looked up to the rooftop of the main building. There stood Tsunade, tall, above everybody else. Not even Shizune nor Tonton were with her as he was able to peer into her eyes. All he saw was anger as her eyes drifted back and forth, seeing who would attend her address.

"Naruto-kun," the soft voice next to him spoke. "What do you think this is about?" He turned and kissed her forehead, then he put his arm gently around her.

"I'm not too sure, Hinata, but it's _got_ to be something serious." They exchanged worried glances before their eyes drifted back to the Hokage. "I haven't seen that look on her face since I first met her," he explained. "I can understand she'd be upset, or angry, but.. she looks like she's out for blood."

"Well, .. good." Naruto gasped and turned his head, amazed to his girlfriend's response. Never before had Hinata truly wished death upon _anyone_, but this was different. She had lost more than just a cousin, and everyone in the village knew that. He figured she had every right to feel this bitter.

"Neji was a hero to me, as he was to so many other people," she said, surprisingly strongly. "He should be avenged for his life being cut so tragically short." Her eyes began to tear, but she wouldn't allow herself to cry. Not now.

"Hinata.." Naruto muttered softly. All he could do was rub her back gently as she took a deep, calming breath. When he opened his eyes, he saw another familiar face to the right, all the way in the back of the crowd. Sitting at a table in the shade sat Kakashi-sensei, not in his ninja hear for once. It was weird for Naruto to see Kakashi in a white T-shirt and black shorts, and even without a mask. In his right hand he gripped a long, black cane. He was obviously still in pain, but he was glad to see him back on his feet.

"Hey, Hinata," he said, whispering gently into her ear. "After the address, let's go see Kakashi-sensei. I want to talk to him, make sure he's okay."

"Okay, Naruto. That's fine," she offered a smile and kissed his cheek, and he smiled back.

The sky was truly merciless as the afternoon heat pummeled the villagers with intense wave after wave of scorching temperature. Many villagers had hidden themselves along the sides of buildings or under lofts, anything to keep out of the sun. Many nearby residents watched from their windows, keeping in the comforts of their homes. Nevertheless, everyone's eyes were locked on the Fifth Hokage of Konoha on this hot and humid afternoon.

She raised her arms high above her head and many below her began to point at her, motioning those nearby to quiet down and pay attention. The rusting of the crowd had quickly vanished as the proud leader of them now had the attention of basically the entire village. Naruto and Hinata held each other closely and paid attention to their proud leader, as did Oroyo and Sakura. When it was deathly silent, with the exception of nearby birds chirping in the branches of a neighboring tree, she began. Her voice seemed to carry for miles.

"People of Konoha," she began. "To the teachers, the students, and all of the shinobi. To the townspeople of Konoha. To those who have made Konoha what it is today, living or dead. These are my words." She cleared her throat one last time, and continued on.

"It is the responsibility of the people of Konoha, as well as myself, to honor and protect this village. It is our job to honor and respect one another, all of us, from every walk of life. Whether you be a brave ninja, a young child, an old man, a chef, a teacher, or a construction worker. Whether you be a nurse, a doctor, a messenger, maid, master, or a jack of all trades, you do your job. This village is a colony, with every person doing their part and helping keep Konoha a successful and well-rounded community.

"But in the past couple of days," she stopped and closed her eyes, averting the gazes of those below her. "Two separate tragedies have struck our community, and left many residents in a state of pain, panic, or worry. Three days ago, an ambush on one of our proudest teams of ninja occurred, leaving devastating damage to the three involved, including a near-fatal attack on world-renown jounin, Hakate Kakashi. Two days later, a similar ambush happened closer to the outskirts of our village, victimizing young jounin Hyuuga Neji." Many whispers and mutters came from the crowd below, with comments, remarks, and questions being thrown about like crazy.

"Now," Tsunade opened her eyes and spoke solemnly. "While Hakate Kakashi was able to make a slow and steady recovery thanks to the efforts of our medical squads, young Neji was not able to receive that chance, as he was found dead at the scene of the crime." The crowd began to stir once again, this time, yelling and screaming towards the Hokage. She put her arms up and tried to settle everyone down once again.

"Everyone, please stay calm!" She yelled. "I know the news of Neji's death may be new to some of you, but please keep yourselves under control. This is a very serious matter."

Oroyo's eyes were fixed on the Hokage. He had remembered when she called him a rookie back in her office and the word echoed through his mind. He continued to glare up at her, though Sakura didn't notice his blue eyes glowing brightly in her direction.

"These attacks," Tsunade explained, "are not the only issue at hand. While we do know that these deeds are connected to what we can assume is the same person, no trace of the murderer has been found along the border of Konoha. With constant border patrol finding nothing for the past few days since the first incident, we have every reason to believe that the murderer is currently in the village right now."

The streets began to go crazy. People began to yell, scream, and push their way through the crowds to try and get home to tell those who couldn't make it. Shouts of horror rose into the air as Tsunade watched, fearing she might lose control.

"Listen to me, please!" She yelled out, luckily regaining everyone's focus. "Do not panic!"

"How can you expect us not to panic?" A voice screamed from below. "You're telling us the killer is among us!"

"Do not be alarmed, the chakra and style of the accused killer does not match any style of fighting studied, or even taught, by any shinobi in our village." The people had calmed down, but now they began to converse amongst themselves, naming off people they might find, in a way, suspicious.

"Anyway," Tsunade continued. "In order to assure safety in our village during this crisis, I must order our beloved village to be in temporary lockdown." Oroyo gasped, his eyes now fixed on Tsunade, his glare deepening. "All residents, until further notice, will not be permitted to leave the village without permission from myself and myself _only_. Those who are here visiting residents here in Konoha will be asked to leave _immediately_."

Oroyo cringed and curled his fingers deeper into his own fist. Sakura turned her head and gazed into his angry, blue eyes.

"Oroyo," she whispered.. 'Tsunade's going to make him leave,' she thought to herself. 'Oh, isn't there anything I can do? Maybe if I talk to her... she'll allow him to stay.'

"I have talked to the head of the port city just south of Konoha, and he has permitted that all guests may stay at his town's lodge compliments of Konoha, but while this mystery remains unsolved, I cannot permit any stranger to walk about this town, in precaution. All guests to our village must be evacuated within twenty-four hours. This must be done to assure safety in our great community." Tsunade cleared her throat and stepped forward to the very edge of the building, looking down, her eyes traveling back and forth.

"So," Oroyo said to Sakura, his eyes moving away from everyone's and to the left, gazing down the road. "I'll be asked to leave."

"Don't worry, honey," sakura tried to reassure him. "If I talk to Tsunade, I'm sure I can come say goodbye before you leave, or maybe she'll even let you stay in the village! It just sucks that this has to happen, but with everything going on, desperate times calls for desperate measures, I guess."

"You don't understand," Oroyo answered. "I can't leave yet."

"I know you don't want to leave your grandfather, but this is an emergency. We have to.."

"No!" Oroyo snapped back. "You don't understand! It's important that I stay these last three days. Leaving now would leave me unfulfilled."

Sakura didn't know what to say. She just eyed him with a concerned frown and put her arm around him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Okay."

"This is a dangerous time for our nation, and we all have to step up and do our part to make sure that the crimes cease right here, right now. One life is one too many to lose, and I will see to it that the murderer is brought to firm justice!"

Oroyo looked up at Tsunade, glaring menacingly, though she didn't even notice him as she peered up and down the streets.

"The alleged killer, raijutsu master Minaya Kaelu of the Southern Continent, is at large!" She exclaimed to the crowd. "A young boy of fifteen, seen in all black clothing, including a cape, and cold, glowing blue eyes. If you see _anyone_ that fits this description, notify the ANBU corps or any patrol ninja immediately." The people began to talk to themselves, now making false statement claiming they _might_ have seen somebody like that around the village, just to stir things up.

"This dark time in our village will not go unjustified." Tsunade's eyes followed the crowd down to Sakura and her friend, and her eyes met the unknown murderer with fury. "The killer will be found." She raised her arms to the crowd, dismissing them. "That is all!"

He listened attentively to the Hokage's fierce tongue. He was out of time, and he knew that he would now have to hide out in the depths of a continent he didn't know, with a victim that everybody did.

'Three days,' he told himself. He began to clench his fists a little tighter, stressing about his next move, forgetting that one of his hands was being held tightly by Sakura,

"Oroyo," she managed to say, still upset at her teacher's statement. "Is there anything I can do?"

Kaelu didn't look at her, or Tsunade for that matter. His eyes seemed to pierce a hole through the ground in front of him. He was realizing that now, nobody could do anything for him.

Tsunade turned and took a few steps towards the rooftop door, turning around and seeing a few people from the crowd dispersing, but many staying around and communing, discussing emergency plans and small investigations amongst themselves.

"This needs to be done," Tsunade said to herself, thinking of her pupil, who she felt might be heartbroken by this statement. "I understand you have feelings for the boy, stronger than even I might have come to understand, but this needs to be done, Sakura, and I'm sorry." She walked slowly towards the rooftop door, recalling moments from the night before. She remembered the despair and anger in Kakashi's eyes, the desperation he must've felt knowing there was nothing he could do. She remember the angst in Hinata's eyes, her cold tears flowing like untamed rivers, her sadness bellowing in the frigid emergency room, with solace coming from no direction. She remembered Sakura's face when she told her the tragic news of Hyuuga Neji, and even before that, her dim eyes, filled with sorrow and pain. She recalled the story of the ambush on team seven, as pieced together by the victims, one by one, and the darm, dreary, tiring recoveries they have all led..

..and the new kid. The boy from the South, and how he's been the little hope for her pupil in the past few days.

And yet, for some reason, it wasn't right.

She hadn't talked to Gasuki Aidon since he had married Kasumi, and she felt maybe she should. It's the least she could do for having to evacuate his two grandsons from the village.

"I wonder if he'll remember me," Tsunade joked to herself. "It really _has_ been a long time since we've last crossed paths. Maybe over thirty years now, at least."

* * *

The streets were quickly emptying as people scurried every which way to their homes. Amidst the crowd, Gasuki Oroyo and Haruno Sakura stood, waiting patiently to the bustle of so many people to die down before they headed off. While Sakura had remained calm, leaning against the side of the house, she couldn't help but notice Oroyo lost in thought, pacing to himself back and forth.

'Poor guy,' she thought to herself. 'It's his only week up here and it's being cut short. I can understand he's upset.' She sighed to herself. 'I only wish there was something I could do.'

'This is madness,' he yelled to himself, doing his best to hide his frustration. 'Shiro is probably on his way now, and he's going to be here in three days, and that bastard's probably going to want results, to want a specimen.' He shook his head, 'well, he's going to get more than that. I can take that son of a bitch out, no problem, and once I do, I'll have Hinata returned and I can get little Atsu and Aidon back home with me, far away from here..'

Then it hit him as he glanced up to the girl reached out for his hand.

"Sakura.."

"Well?" She laughed. "Are you just going to stare at my hand or are you going to take it?"

"Sakura," he smiled, but that quickly disappeared as he began to think to himself once more. 'I've never had these feelings towards anyone before,' he admitted to himself, cautious she might be able to read his expressions. 'But if she ever found out my true identity.. I'd break her heart, and things would grow, well.. ugly.'

He took her hand and kissed it politely. It was the least he could do.

"Sakura-chan," he glanced into her eyes and she looked back upon him lovingly. "I'm going to go now. I'll meet up with you later tonight, I promise I just," he looked away for a split second. "I just need to think for a bit.. and talk things over with my family."

Sakura nodded her head slowly. She knew that she could only be there if he wanted her to, and now was not that time. "Alright, then." She offered a smile in hopes to cheer him up for a moment, and to her joy, he smiled back. She followed through with a kiss to his cheek. "Whenever you _do_ leave, Oroyo-kun.. please make sure you say bye to me." She joked, "Because, you know, I _totally_ don't ever want to see you again."

He smirked at her sarcasm and stepped over to her, tilting her chin up. "I'm sure you don't." He leaned in and planted a quick kiss upon her lips before brushing his hand down her cheek. She smiled, shivering slighty at his touch and rested her hands on his shoulders. He jumped back, wincing, grabbing at his left shoulder, rolling it slowly.

"Aw, still? Honey, you should really have that checked out. I'm a medical ninja, you know, I can do it for you." She reached up to his collarbone and began to pull the shirt down past his shoulder when he stopped her.

"No! That's okay, really. It's just a bruise, I'll be fine." She eyed him up and down, then rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders.

"If you say so, but don't come crying to me if it gets worse, even though you _know_ Ill fix you up anyway." She winked, giggling. He blushed, fixing his shirt. She found this cute and decided to run her hand through his hair and down his back, eventually getting both arms around him. He kissed her forehead, then pulled her arms from his back and, when they were in front of him, he took her hands gently.

"Hurry back, okay?" Sakura told him, in return to what he said before she left for her last mission. He caught on immediately, smiling.

"Of course," he swung her arms softly once, then let go and turned to go home, walking slowly with his head up, eyes fixed on the road before him. Sakura watched him from where she stood. After a few moments she turned to walk into the Central Building to meet with Tsunade about a desparate appeal for Oroyo, when she closed her eyes and suddenly had images of the past, horrible week fly through her mind.

_There stood Kaelu, his left arm gripping tightly around his right wrist, his right hand completely covered in static, sparks jumping violently from his fingertips. Embedded in his left shoulder was the kunai that had struck the pouch before the replication._

Her mind began to race with what she considered absurd possibilities, so many things not adding up in her mind.

_I__t was when her right hand met his left shoulder than the moment had to be halted. A sudden shock and pain shot down Kaelu's arm and through the rest of his body, and he broke the kiss, darting his arm back and away from Sakura. He reached for his shoulder and gripped at it tightly, trying to compress the pain. He cringed and looked away from her, trying to hide it as much as possible, though even he knew he was doing a horrible job._

"_What's wrong?" She leaned back, giving him space, though she had a very concerned look on her face._

'_It's no-nothing." He hid the pain the best he could. He had closed the wound with his chakra and kept it wrapped so it wouldn't reopen, but it was still tender and her slightest touch was enough to have it react on him._

Every word was so clear, every incident still so precise in her memory, so why was she seeing all of this? What was happening that she was so unaware of.

"_He has really protected her," she said, speaking of Neji. "We really owe a lot to that kid…."_

.. And she stopped, right where she was. Time no longer mattered. Where she was no longer mattered.

"It couldn't be," was all she could say. She turned back to see him walk down the road, one more time. As she watched, an image of her kissing him popped into her head. That wonderful moment that she shared with him was just so amazing, so precious.. so.. genuine, he couldn't be..

He just couldn't be, and yet.. She pictured to herself his bright, deep blue eyes..

And the eyes of the killer, right before his strike.. And, to her distress, they were one in the same.

It just couldn't be the same. That first kiss doesn't lie..

..it shouldn't..

* * *

The ports were busy as they had been all afternoon. The docks were alive with the sounds of cargo loading and unloading, the yelling and drabbling of the sailors, and the incessant squawking of sea gulls looking to swipe a quick meal. The harbor of Kyoko had always succeeded, and was always flourishing with business, even when the rest of the region's economy had fallen. The seaport was one of the main trade routes that kept them alive.

But for three very powerful men, this day was _not_ about trade and money.

"Gorgeous day, isn't it?" stated the first man, the tallest and largest of the three, dressed in egg-shell khakis and a bright, red coat, vested in medals and pins from a lifetime of honor. The man he spoke to was not as classily dressed as he sported a blue T-shirt and carpenter jeans.

"Is it," the younger man responded, gazing about the sky, looking for any signs of life, such as birds, bugs, and anything else. "Splendid for being outside." He looked over at his counterpart and laughed. "Not in a boat, certainly." His gaze moved slowly over to the vessel. It was wooden, but large and quite sturdy.

"Are all the preparations ready?" he asked, eyeing the boat with the upmost precision.

"They are," the General replied. His right-hand man nodded in approval. "I shan't be gone long. A week at the most." He rested his hand on his subordinate's shoulder. "Uro, my friend, my brother," he said, softly but firmly. "I trust with you my responsibilities. Protect Kyoko and its people, and keep the peace. It won't be long before Kagetsu and I return with the tool we need to put our beloved city back on the map as a powerhouse of the world."

"Kyoko will be fine, brother." Uro nodded his head. "You know where I stand on this prophecy, but if you believe that it's for the best, then.." He pat his older brother's shoulder firmly. "Best of luck."

"Certainly," Takeno responded. "If I'm half the navigator you are, I should be fine."

"I could say the same for having half your political sense," Uro laughed. "You know I'm not about the politics, even though it's in my blood, you could say."

Takeno smiled, "Our father wanted us to govern together, Uro, but if he saw what you've become today, I'm sure he'd be just as proud. You're certainly a jack of all trades!"

"So sue me for wanting to see the world," Uro scoffed. "It's helped me become one of the greatest designers and inventors of this century. My engineering skills here in Kyoko are second to none."

"We've done our family proud," Takeno nodded. He heard footsteps from the boat behind him and he looked up to the deck, as Kagetsu Shiro stood, even in the light of day, shadowy and dark.

"I haven't been this excited for a mission in _years_," he spoke, earning the attention of the Riu brothers. "Let us hope our boys have found something in the North. I'm excited to see what findings they may have come across."

Takeno turned to his brother. "I guess that means it's time to head out," he said jokingly. "You know how impatient ol' Shiro gets." Uro laughed while Kagetsu sneered and shrugged it off.

"Cut the jokes, you immature little weasel," he tapped his cane harshly on the deck.

"Come now, Shiro," Takeno held is arms up in explanation. "Just because you're twenty years my elder doesn't mean you need to talk down to me. I _am your_ leader, after all."

Shiro cracked a smile. "The only thing you'll be leading on this trip is nausea."

Takeno shook his head. "Whatever you say. Is Tsuukan prepared to set sail?"

"He's been prepared for quite some time, so let's get a move. These next three days are going to drag on by so let's get a head start on things." Shiro turned back to the hull and walked away from the general and the carpenter.

"So long, brother." Uro extended his hand. "Safe trip." Takeno smirked and shook it firmly.

"Thank you, brother. Let's find ourselves an answer to our trials and tribulations." He stepped into the side of the boat and as the door was being lifted, he turned back to Uro and pumped his fist. "To power!"

The door shut.

"Brother," Uro said softly to himself. "Finding this prophecy isn't necessary. Brute force will not bring about a powerful nation, no matter how strong it is." The boat raised its anchor and it began to drift out to sea. Uro stood at the docks, continuing to give advice to himself.

"Wars don't make you great, Takeno, and strength won't give you more power. Look deep within yourself, and find a solution that won't lead us to endless wars."

At that point, he remembered a scene from his childhood where Takeno had graduated from the Kyoko Academy of Ninja Arts, while he stood on the sidelines, with no interest in it whatsoever.

"It's not the ninja way.."

* * *

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto ran up to his teacher and embraced him tightly, earning a wince and a grunt from the man before putting his hand firmly on Naruto's shoulder.

"I'm so glad to see you're alright." Naruto laughed, "You got rocked pretty bad, but I _knew _you'd come through, you always do!" Hinata smiled at her boyfriend, having just caught up to him. She shyly waved to Kakashi.

"I'm glad to see the surgery was a success. Do you hurt?" She asked.

"Ehhh," he shrugged. "I've been better, considering Naruto doesn't know his own strength," he chuckled. "But everything aside, yes, I'm doing very well. Thank you."

Naruto looked concerned. "Surgery? You had surgery, why didn't you tell me? Was it bad? What did they do to you?"

Kakashi took a moment to explain all of the medical details that Tsunade had previously explained to him and Sakura, though it was obvious he was losing Naruto.

"Basically," he concluded. "My spine was beyond repair, so they used chakra to recreate it and now my spine is better." He smiled, "Got it?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah." Hinata walked up to him, smiling and Naruto responded with a hug. Kakashi looked at them and smirked.

"So, when did _this _happen?"

"Not too long ago," Naruto began. "Yesterday, actually." Hinata began to blush, and Kakashi looked at her and smiled warmly. He could tell how happy Uzumaki Naruto made her, and he felt it was best he left it at that.

"Well, Naruto, I have some things I need to take care of. Hospital treatments, therapy meetings, saving babies, you know, typical day." He got a laugh from both of the teenagers as he got up from his seat and balanced himself onto his cane.

"Do you need any help, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto held his arm out, lending a hand to his injured teacher.

"No, I'll be alright for now." He limped a couple of steps back towards the hospital. "You kids enjoy the rest of your day, alright?"

The two of them nodded. "Yes sir!" Naruto yelled. "Get well soon, sensei! I can't wait to train with you the second you've recovered!" He grabbed Hinata's hand and they started down the road in the other direction. Kakashi paused a moment and watched Naruto take his beautiful girlfriend with him.

"Come on, Hinata. I'm hungry again! Let's share a bowl of ramen!" He could hear Naruto as he strolled down the block, and he laughed to himself.

"He's growing up," Kakashi said, happy for his student. "In so many ways, too."

"Uzumaki Naruto.." he sighed to himself and took a few more labored steps towards the hospital. He wasn't in pain as he just was tired. The medicine along with all of the time he had been in bed the past few days had really worn his body down quickly, and a couple of hours out and about were all it took..

"_I can't wait to train with you the second you've recovered!"_

"Naruto.." Kakashi whispered to himself, sadly. "I'm sorry if that day doesn't come.." He took a deep breath and, hiding his single tear, pressed onward towards the hospital, alone and, worst of all, helpless.

* * *

So many thoughts had raced around his mind. Sakura, Tsunade, Hinata, Naruto. Atsuke, and Aidon; all of his feelings were meshing together, and he felt himself begin to panic. He had to keep himself calm, he knew what would happen if his anger reached a certain point. It was what had made him so dangerous in his past and he just had to keep himself calm. There were no buts about it.

He turned right and made his way towards his temporary home, though he still had a long walk ahead of him. He wondered what powers Hinata possessed within her, and just how strong she could potentially be. He thought about Sakura, and he asked himself if he would ever see her again. He had to find time to say good-bye before it was time to make his escape, but it would all be interrupted when he saw Atsuke yelling out his name, flying down the road towards him….

_"Something isn't right.."_

"OROYO-KUN!!"

_"There's despair in his eyes.."_

The tears ran fierce like rapids.

"OROYOOO!!"

_"Tell me it's not true.."_

His little brother embraced him with all his strength, wailing into his chest.

_"Oh, please, say it ain't so.."_

The young boy looked up into the killer's eyes, and, at the same time as him, spoke the horror that was.

"Grandpa…"

* * *

Again, comments are always appreciated, as I love to hear from everybody! It gives me all the more reason to keep up at the pace I am!

Look for Chapter 13, His True Face, this Sunday at around 10pm (I'll make the date this time, I promise P) Also, I may put a preview up, I might not.. if enough people want one, I will ;

sp


	13. His True Face

Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto, I just write about it. Simple today, eh?

Well, coming down the stretch run, I'd say there is about five chapters remaining in "Risen" (including this one), all depending on how I wish to plan them out, which right now I have a good idea. Again, hope you're enjoying this story and hope you continue through to the end!

-s.p.

* * *

**His True Face**

It had been a week of chaos in the Hidden Leaf Village. Death was looming over the great nation and now had even the great shinobi of this time fearing for their lives. Panic and fear had been brought down onto the villagers in a sudden storm of taboo desire.

But even for the yearning of this terrible force, Death, in a way, was inescapable.

The front door had never been so heavy as this time when Kaelu slowly pulled it open, Atsuke standing behind him, clinging to his shirt, his eyes reddened from his tears. As the door crept open, the young shinobi of the South were greeted by a horrible silence that seemed to immediately sink into their hearts. The room was how it had always been, and the scent of tea, usually strong within the house, continued to dance through the air. Kaelu took a deep breath and stepped forward, towards the kitchen, his heart pounding with each step. As he neared, he felt his adrenaline pumping, his breaths shortening, and his level of panic steadily ascending.

"_He always tells me he's doing fine, that he's as healthy as anything, but you can just tell.."_

"_Aww, what a nice guy old Aidon is!"_

"_Always a man to help others, he was.."_

The painful reality of the moment was all too real, and far too much for the boys to take. Atsuke broke away from Kaelu and began to sob, not wanting to step into the kitchen. Mumbles of "Why" and "Grandpa" escaped from the boy's lips between coughs and sobs, and Kaelu felt his own eyes begin to fill with tears. He clenched his fists as he approached the threshold of the kitchen, slowly peering in and leaning in a little further with each small step. He turned the corner and to the left where the table was neatly in the corner, and before he completely turned, he stopped and jumped back, looking at the floor.

He saw a familiar arm, stretched out towards him, on the floor, and his eyes widened. Kaelu's breathing stopped, his lips quivered, his heart beat violently. He could barely keep himself on his own two feet and he inched on, peering further around the corner. It was only seconds before Kaelu began to see the full picture. First the arm, then the man's head, face down, on the floor. Soon, his entire body was in view. It was Aidon, there was no doubt about it. Kaelu saw, just to the right of the man's outstretched arm, an empty glass. Solemn, his eyes traced up to the stove, where a full kettle of hot water simmered, with two tea bags sitting neatly on the stove counter.

Kaelu leaned over the man and gently took his wrist, feeling for a pulse. He heard footsteps behind him as Atsuke crept through the doorway, sniffling softly. After a few seconds, he turned to his younger brother and quietly shook his head. The life from Atsuke's eyes vanished as he glanced away, fighting his tears.

"I was upstairs when," he stuttered, sniffling throughout, "when I heard a loud crash. And when I got down here, he was…" He slowly wiped his eyes with his sleeve, back and forth, smearing some of the moisture from his tears across his face. Kaelu turned to face the man's body once more, and he placed his lifeless hand slowly back to the floor. He clenched his jaw and fists tightly, then he stood up and picked up a tea bag from the counter.

"Even until the end," he played with the tea bag for a second, then gripped it tightly. "There was always room for one more.."

Atsuke couldn't contain it anymore as the tears once again began to stream down his face. He ran up to his brother and threw his arms around him, clinging on for dear life. Kaelu kept his eyes on Aidon as he put an arm around Atsuke, rubbing his shoulder in comfort. The skilled raijutsu specialist was at a complete loss. He didn't know what to say, what to do. He didn't know what to think, how to feel. He couldn't even cry.. he didn't want to. All he could do was stop and think. About all of the lies and deceptions. About all of the tragedy around him..

.. and how he was powerless to it all.

"Pack your things," he said calmly. Atsuke stopped sobbing for a moment and looked up at his brother with wide eyes.

"Wha..?"

"I'll explain later. Just, please, do as I say." He let go of his brother and picked up lifted his grandfather's body into sitting position strenuously. Kaelu was not one for physical strength and his grandfather was a big, big man. He turned Aidon and leaned his back against the counter by the stove. "I'll alert Tsunade about Aidon, so don't you worry. He'll be taken care of. I promise." Kaelu walked back, past his brother, and towards the front door of the house. He paused a moment and turned back to Atsuke.

"Are you going to be alright?"

Atsuke sniffled and wiped away the last of his tears. He couldn't cry anymore. At least, for the moment. "Yeah."

Kaelu nodded his head. "All I can say right now is that there's been an emergency and we need to leave as soon as possible.," He rolled his neck and cracked his shoulders quickly. "Like I said, I'll explain later, but right now, I have things I have to… to take care of." He closed his eyes and an image of Sakura, smiling, flashed in his mind. His eyes grew darker, his jaw closed tighter, his arms tensed. "Get your things ready, Atsuke. We're going to leave within an hour."

Without another word, and before Atsuke could respond, Kaelu bolted towards the door, and flew down the street back toward the center of the village. Atsuke walked slowly towards the door, concerned about his brother's actions, though he didn't question them. Atsuke's arms began to shake, and he grew afraid. 'Emergency? What's happening _now?_' he thought to himself. Slowly, he pulled the front door shut as it slowly came to a creaking close, the lock finally clicking into place.

Atsuke began to make his way towards the stairs leading up to the guest room and his belongings, when he stopped with one foot on the first step. He looked back toward the kitchen.

"Grandpa," he started to himself, his voice calm, his eyes watering slightly. "You've been sick for so long, Grandpa. Mother said you've been since before I was born." He shook his head and slowly made his way up the steps. Again, he paused a couple steps from the top and he leaned back, giving one more glance into the kitchen.

"You're in peace now, Grandpa." He wiped away the single tear from his eye. "Tell Nana Kasumi hi for me."

* * *

This had to be done. In the midst of all the heat, all the drama, all the sorrow, there was no evading it. Minaya Kaelu kept his head low, his gaze far from everyone he passed as he crept slowly towards Ichiraku Ramen, the place where he told Sakura he would meet her for lunch. Now, he had hoped she would be there, but for a completely different objective.

He couldn't find it in his mind to like Haruno Sakura right now, or even care about her. He couldn't get himself to feel bad for what he was about to do, and he could actually only find great pleasure in doing so. His thoughts, filled with hatred and despair, echoed through his mind, sending chills through his body.

_"You're a tool.. a weapon used for war.."_

Sweat dripped down his forehead, and he brushed his bangs from his face, his blue eyes kept at the ground, dim and darkened, veiled by sheer anger and suffering. The blinding sun loomed over him and everything around him, beating down wave upon wave of intense heat. The weather alone was surely enough to drive anybody mad.

_"Your parents betrayed you and your past was kept secret from you.."_

Kaelu stopped a block from his destination and stood quietly in the middle of the road. He felt his body fill with an energy he had never felt before: an adrenaline so fierce it seemed to race through his body at light speed. He tensed his body and began to feel the rush through his body, through his chakra. His emotions were on full tilt, his anger was steadily rising.

_"Everything precious to you will forever be taken away.."_

"Kuu-sensei.."

His heart pounded ferociously in his chest.

"Father.."

His breathing grew heavy and he clenched his whole body tightly.

"Grandpa.."

Echoes of words flew through his head; words used to describe Kaelu during his lifetime. 'Prodigy,' one yelled out. 'Weapon,' another whispered. 'Merciless, heartless, cold,' all of these terrible words flew at him like arrows, adding to his pain. His eyes shut tight as he grimaced, head down, beginning to shake.

"Sakura.."

And in his own mind, he saw himself standing in a bright circle surrounded by total darkness. He was alone, as he had been for so long. All he had were the voices of his journey to keep his company.

_"Kaelu is fearless and more importantly, merciless. He will tear the villages apart.."_

_"You're planning to take this person from their life and make them into your weapon.."_

_"You're their pawn, and you didn't even know it."_

_"If the shinobi of Konoha don't put an end to you.. you, yourself, will. Become who you truly want…"_

It was at this point that everything went black. His mind on the verge of insanity, he no longer had the slightest idea of who to trust, what to believe, and how to live. 'This bloody mission,' he thought to himself. 'This bloody ----ing mission. I should've never accepted it. Ignorance is bliss,' he concluded.

"Sakura," he whispered again.

And yet, this mission had become more than finding and kidnapping a celestial being for power, as amazing as that had seemed. This was about life for Kaelu, about finding it and about finding who he is in this world.

_"Little Atsuke looks up to you.."_

"Maybe," he said to himself, opening his eyes and seeing Sakura, waiting for him at the ramen stand, now notice him and begin to walk towards him.

"Atsuke," he continued. "Maybe it's too late for me to find happiness, but I have found something for more important," his eyes kept on the pink-haired beauty stepping slowly towards him.

"And if it's the only decent thing I do in my life," Kaelu swallowed hard, suppressing his anger the best he could, releasing his fists. "Then it, indeed, must be done."

She smiled and waved towards him as her pace now picked up to a jog.

'Sakura,' he thought to himself, his inner words trembling as he fought on the outside to suppress his tears. 'You may never forgive me, but one day, you'll understand why I did this.'

"Leaving already? I thought you'd want to stick around a little longer," she joked. Oroyo was able to crack a soft smile before returning his solemn look.

"Aww, Oroyo-kun, try not to be upset!" she exclaimed. "These things happen, and it's not for long, and you'll be around a couple more days, right? I'm sure I'll get to see you again, right?"

Kaelu kept quiet, and he turned his head to the side. He couldn't look at her.

Sakura pouted and leaned in towards him slightly, putting her index finger to her lips, asking for a kiss. Oroyo's eyes met hers once again and he sighed, shaking his head and placing his index finger on top of Sakura's. She frowned.

"Oroyo-kuuun," she whined, concerned for the boy she was falling for. "What's the matter?"

"It's not just that I'm leaving, Sakura," Oroyo began, softly. "I have so many thoughts crowding my mind, I don't know where to begin."

"Well," she motioned him back towards the stand. "We could start with lunch."

"No," he pleaded, waving his hands. "I can't. Sakura, I.." he stuttered and began to fidget, searching his mind for the right words. "Sakura, I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry for what, you haven't done anything wrong," Sakura eyed him curiously. "Please tell me what's troubling you," she reached out for his cheek when Oroyo impulsively smacked her hand away. She gasped and held her hand close to her own chest, in slight shock from his action. "Oroyo-kun.."

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan, it's just.." Oroyo's eyes dropped to the ground once more.

"It's just what, Oroyo-kun?"

"It's just.. I'm not who you think I am, and I don't think you could ever understand."

"What are you talking about, Oroyo-kun," she giggled to herself. "Did Aidon slip you the nasty tea today?"

"Aidon is dead!" Oroyo snapped, yelling out, eyes furiously drawn into Sakura's. That was the last straw. She gasped, putting her hands to her face in disbelief.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Oroyo!" She cried out. She couldn't believe what line she had just crossed. "Oroyo-kun, I… I'm just so sorry!" She buried her eyes into her hands. "God, I feel so terrible, I… I don't know what to say.."

"You don't need to say anything, Sakura," he said, keeping himself collected. "You had no way of knowing."

Sakura couldn't look at him. He was growing angry and she felt she was now the cause of it. "Oroyo-kun," she whispered.

"The same way," he paused. He knew this was it. "The same way you don't know the real reason I'm here, Haruno Sakura." Her eyes shot up at him. He had spoken her full name, and his tone was dark and angry. She didn't know how to respond, she just stood there, eyes on him, waiting for him to explain the situation.

"I'm here on a mission, Sakura. Me and Atsuke were sent here to investigate and try and solve a long-standing mystery." He spoke calmly, but his face was stern and serious, and Sakura knew this wasn't any kind of prank or joke.

"A mystery on what?"

"That I can't tell you, but," He reached up at put his hand to her cheek, his thumb gently brushing down her cheekbone. "We have succeeded in our findings, thanks in part to you."

Sakura's lips parted slightly, her jaw began to tremble, and his touch felt icy cold. What on Earth was he talking about??

"In regards to this mission, you served your purpose in leading me to my desired target, and, unfortunately, I have no longer any need for you."

Her eyes widened as she gasped, and her entire body began to shiver. She felt his cold hand reach her chin and release her from his frigid touch.

"Oroyo-kun," was all she could manage. She couldn't even begin to put words together. Her breathing grew panicked and heavy, she was soon enveloped in fear and in disbelief.

Oroyo shook his head, biting his lip. "I knew from the start.. it was wrong, and it still is.. but I.. I _do_ like you Sakura." She felt her heart skip a beat.

"And I pray that one day you'll understand and forgive me, even though, in my heart, I feel you may never do such a thing, but.."

"But… but…?" Sakura shook violently as he took a step towards her. She followed his hand move behind her ear and flick a strand of hair back behind her ear.

At that very moment, he dropped his disguise, and, for a split second, Sakura saw the figure, the body, and the eyes of a killer that had been haunting her dreams for the past three nights. She was petrified, frozen in time and space, her breaths shook and quivered as she struggled to stay standing. Never before had she felt she was this afraid. Never. But before she could even get herself to react, she looked back at the killer.

He was back incognito, and she gazed into his eyes, his piercing, murderous blue eyes. She had once thought these eyes were sweet, attractive, caring, and already those traces of thought were light-years away. She trembled at his glare, she felt cold, she felt afraid, and she felt death. She looked into his eyes and saw the bloodshed, she felt and heard the screams of victims, of the devastation he'd left behind, and of all the lies, the deception, and the trickery. The skin on her stomach burned with a sharp, sickening pain, and she cringed and threw herself forward, grabbing at her stomach. She closed her eyes tightly and in her mind, she saw a flash of lightning and the loud, deafening boom echoed through her mind once again.

Sakura saw herself falling to the ground beside her sensei, believing at the time her life was over. Even in the here and now, she felt the pain of the strike, the stabbing, burning, excruciating pain that brought tears to her eyes. She screamed to herself, hearing in her mind , along with her, the desperate scream of Naruto from when she had been struck, and she remembered those eyes. The last thing she remembered from that horrible day was his cold, unforgiving eyes.. the eyes of a deceiver, the eyes of a liar.. the eyes of a killer.. The ultimate weapon..

..and now they were fixed on her.

"… Minaya… Kaelu…"

He nodded slowly, and turned from her. He took a deep breath, exhaled and began to walk away slowly. He wasn't proud in the least of what he did, but he felt she needed to know the truth.

"Sakura," he said while walking away. She didn't move a muscle, but he knew that she could hear him, so he continued on anyway. "Let me do what I came here to do and everything will be okay. I ask you, Sakura-chan. Please do not interfere with my plans." He stopped and looked up to the sun briefly, still beaming brightly down upon him. He looked forward again, eyes fixed on the long, winding road in front of him. "I do not wish to kill anymore."

Sakura kept still, her eyes fading fast, her spirit sapped right from her body. She kept her hands to her stomach, and she still occasionally grimaced, writhing in pain from the scar tissue that had still not completely healed.

"I.." he paused again, trying to piece together his words carefully. "I don't expect you to ever truly understand me, Sakura.. or believe in what I have left to say.. but," he looked back at her, his eyes warm and caring once again, however filled with sorrow and regret. "You've helped me find a lot more on this mission than I ever expected, and.. if I never see you again, I want you to know that I'll never forget you.." His eyes kept looking at hers, pleading for any kind of response, but to no avail. She avoided his glance, she refused to even acknowledge him as he stood, far away from her in every meaning of those words.

"Good-bye, Sakura." He gave one last forlorn glance before turning back to face the road and he took one quick step with his right foot before jumping off to full speed down the road, heading back towards his home on the other side of the village.

Sakura could only tremble as she watched him run from her. The pain subsiding, she lifted one hand from her stomach and put it to her cheek, where he last touched her, and she felt sick to her stomach. She wanted desperately to believe that this was all a nightmare: some sick, twisted dream. But it wasn't.

A sudden cold flew over her body, a shudder taming even the hottest of days chilled her body. The reality of his deception was setting in slowly, and she began to nauseate herself more and more. His hand, his soft, smooth hand was that of a murderer, a deceiver and a fake.

"I fell for him.." she couldn't believe her own words. "I was.. I was willing to love him, to give myself to him.. his lips.. I shared moments with those lips.. I held his hands.." She coughed, nearly gagging herself on the thought of his hands and the sheer number of lives taken by them. She imagined all the innocent blood those once-precious hands must've held. She shook at the thought of what those hands had done to her and her teammates, and she couldn't take it anymore. She fell to her knees and began to cough violently. She felt herself wanting to regurgitate and she struggled to keep her body under control, knowing that the slightest tear or repercussion to her stomach could complicate her healing process.

Her mind raced, trying desperately to piece the puzzle together, trying to make everything make total sense. She remembered the insane preaching of Minaya Kaelu on the battlefield, talking about the Fallen Angel existing in Konoha. She remembered the hospital room, their first kiss. Then, Hinata's confession while Naruto slept. She recalled the walk home that night with him and Hinata. She remembered telling him about Hinata's rising spirits thanks to Naruto and..

"Neji.." she stuttered. She remembered praising him and then, the next day Oroyo was nowhere to be found.

"That's when.." her heart froze. She remembered the terrible news delivered to her by Tsunade-sama. "That's when Neji was killed… by Kaelu."

_It is love that will awaken it's true power.._

"Then," her breathing was labored and her body tensed immensely as she struggled to free herself from this panic. "Then, if he targeted Naruto, myself, and then Neji, that means.."

And it reached her, faster than a lightning flash, harder than a broken heart.

"Hinata…" her eyes snapped open, her gaze was one of total fear. She knew what he was going to do. She knew what had to be done.

"Naruto…"

* * *

She walked slowly along the dirt road towards her home, her eyes drawn onto everything except that very road on which she tread. Her attention was given to the clouds hovering above, the birds chirping away from the comfort of the shade within the few trees lining the road. She kept in her mind the image of an old woman dumping ice water from her window onto an unsuspecting pedestrian, followed by a broad display of yelling, cursing, and threats, many of which coming from the woman herself.

Hinata kept to herself, however. The only thing she had to look forward to at home was a hot cup of tea and the rest of her book, which she recently had found to have no time for. Perfectly understandable, however, considering there's a rumored murderer on the loose and one of the victims, unfortunately, was her dear cousin. This afternoon, though, she found herself to have some free time. Naruto had gone home to nap, saying the medicine was taking effect and that he was exhausted. She wasn't tired, however, and decided she'd spend the day at home around her family, hoping that things about the Hyuuga community were starting to calm themselves down.

"It has only been a day," she told herself. "But they _are_ my family, and they're probably just as upset about this incident as I am." She picked her pace up as she got closer and closer to home. "I'm sure together, we can all get through this," she said, smiling to herself.

She walked past a merchant area, the last before her community, when she heard a voice call to her from inside the café.

"Hinata," it was calm and soothing; certainly familiar. She turned her head slowly to the left and she saw Gasuki Oroyo, getting up from his seat along the bar. He placed his almost-empty glass down onto the table and thanked the waitress behind the counter. Slowly, he stepped out into the sunlight, briefly shielding his eyes before focusing in on the young Hyuuga heiress.

"What is it, Oroyo-san?" She looked slightly concerned, wondering why he wasn't with Sakura. "Where's Sakura? Tsunade-sama said you'll have to leave the village because of the attacks. Why aren't you spending time with her?"

He put his arm comfortably around Hinata's shoulder and led her down a quiet side street, getting away from all of the bustle in the marketplace. "Actually," he started. "I wanted some advice, Hinata-chan. I have certain feelings for her and I'm not happy about leaving at all." He lowered his head. "I told her I needed some time to think and well, I saw you, and I wanted to know if you could give me any advice on what to do."

She paused for a moment and put her hand to her chin, thinking. "Well, Sakura's really going to miss you. I'm sure of it. And I'm sure she wouldn't want you to be distraught about it, either. This was done for the safety of our village after all. I'm sure it's nothing against you." She turned away from him for a second, pacing forward a couple of steps. "Just tell her how you feel, and that you'll miss her and hopefully you'll come back one day for her."

She turned back to face him. "Do you love her?" She asked. He fumbled with his hands and his words a moment, cracking his fingers, attempting to calm his nerves.

"I.. I don't know, honestly."

She giggled and turned back around. "Well, it's about time you figured it out. You're running out of time, you know."

He nodded behind her and lifted his arm up, pointing his index finger at the back of her neck slowly. Still in front of him, she stretched her arms far over her head and yawned loudly. He quickly dropped his hand to his side at her movement, and he slowly walked up to Hinata again and stood by her side, lifting his right arm again and taking aim.

"I know, Hinata," he continued on, patiently. "I'm just worried I'll mess up things."

She closed her eyes and smirked. "Sometimes you just have to learn not to regret things in life. Be the person you know you can be. Do the right thing.."

He paused, hearing those words again. It wasn't her speaking alone. Neji was with her, as was Aidon. Their voices as one..

"Hinata?"

"Yeah?" She looked up at him.

A loud crack, and an earth-shaking resonance, then the cold, dreary silence that followed.

"Forgive me."

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed. I know it's slightly shorter than previous chapters, but it's to set up the next few scenes. Chapter 14 will probably be one of the longest in the entire story, so hang on and enjoy the ride!

As always, reviews are always appreciated. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to read and send me their input! See you next Sunday!

Chapter 14 (no name decided yet)- Sunday, September 2nd, Time TBD

If you want a preview for chapter 14, you gotta tell me. Otherwise, you wait til Sunday :-P

-s.p.


	14. The Unforgiven

Disclaimer-Naruto and its characters, music, all that stuff owned by their respective producers, writers, and everyone else.

Well.. Not much to say. I said it all last time, lol. This is a big chapter, maybe not so much in action, but getting everything ready for the action to follow. Just hang in there and enjoy the ride!

s.p.

* * *

**The Unforgiven**

"_Naruto-kun," her voice was as soft and sweet as ever._

"_Hinata? Is that you?" he opened his eyes and saw his young beauty, stepping out from the darkness surrounding. Naruto sat up and stretched his arms out high over his head, then looked upon her once more. Her left arm held to her chest, her palm to her cheek, she appeared troubled._

"_What's the matter, Hinata-chan?" He took a step towards her, but as he did, she was no closer to him than before he took that slow, long stride. Confused, he turned his head. There was no bed behind him, only more darkness. He quickly turned back to face Hinata again, and he shivered to himself as the air in this inexplicable void was nothing but chilled and black. Eerie sounds of moaning and groaning, though barely audible, drifted through the air. Whirls of cycling wind, not seen, could be felt and heard around him._

"_Hinata, what's going on?"_

"_Naruto," she answered, quietly. "Can you.. can you feel it?"_

_Naruto looked around, back and forth, trying to spot _anything. _She took a small step towards him._

"_Hinata, feel what? The air? The chills, what are you talking about?" Naruto began to act a little frantic. He wanted an explanation for this. It just seemed all too real._

"_Naruto, my love," Hinata said. "Open your eyes. Surely you must see it, surely you must feel it!"_

_Now he was confused. "Hinata, I.." his breathing picked up, unsure of the situation he was in. he began to turn in circles, desperately looking for what she meant. He looked back at her and closed his eyes, rubbing them furiously._

"_Open your eyes!" She yelled._

_Slowly, Naruto opened his eyes, and a blinding light greeted him. Shielding his eyes with his arms across his face, he peered up, but instead of Hinata, he was in the presence of this amazing, beautiful being. He turned around, and the darkness was quickly fleeting behind him. Looking back towards this presence, he could not see a face on it; just a veil of chakra, covering the being in a dazzling aura of blue, purple, and all shades in between. It had flowing, shoulder-length hair, a slender body and beautiful, white wings, of which the ends were protruding through the circle of chakra._

'_This is just… so beautiful,' he thought to himself. He felt his own body filling with new light, with new life and energy. He held his arms out to his sides, closing his fists, and he truly felt stronger, more alive. His red chakra emitted from his body, circling him at light speed._

'_I've never felt this much power before..'_

"_Naruto," the being spoke. He looked up at it as it reached out to him slowly. The power emitting from this celestial's body was incomparable. Naruto felt as if his body was being pushed body by the sheer volume of chakra flow. Nevertheless, he struggled forward and reached out towards it. When his fingertip touched this presence's, he looked towards its face.._

_And at that moment, it seemed as though everything around them had frozen in time. Their chakra, once flowing at mach speed, now circled around them in such detailed circles, that it truly had become something out of a fantasy. And as he peered closer into the being's eyes, he saw the face, and then the lavender eyes he had grown so familiar with.. the eyes he had fallen in love with.._

"_Can you feel it..?"_

_And then, in that instant, everything had begun to move at regular speed, only the intensity had seemed to magnify hundreds of times. The chakra burned so bright that everything around was being slowly engulfed by this power, and Naruto could only watch as he and Hinata were slowly consumed by what felt to be infinite power.._

"Whoa!" Naruto shot up from his nap and sat up, sweating, gasping for air in his bed. He looked cautiously about the room, and he found that it was dead still. The eeriness of the dream still followed him as he turned to his bed stand and read the time off of his alarm clock. It was just after four, meaning he had spent about two hours in his nap.

"What a weird dream," he said to himself, rubbing his eyes. He stumbled to his feet and grabbed his shirt from the bedpost. In a daze, still, he threw it over himself and walked carefully over to the kitchen, where he sat down a moment to ponder to delirium that was his afternoon vision. "Hinata," he whispered to himself, resting his elbows on the table and his chin on his hands. After a long sigh, he closed his eyes and tried to imagine the figure he had seen, but he couldn't quite get it right.

"She had her eyes," he said, trying to convince himself of what he had seen. "She had her voice.. but.. it was just so… so amazing," He looked at his own two hands and clenched his fists quickly. "Even now," his eyes blinking slowly, still focused on his hands, "I feel.. powerful." He jumped up to his feet and took a step away from the table. Then, he began to punch furiously in the air, blow after blow in rapid succession. After a good number of repeated jabs, he finished with a right uppercut and then jumped back a few feet onto his toes, ending up once again in his bedroom. Amazed, he inspected his hands and arms once again, as if he were looking for a concrete cause for this adrenaline rush.

"I haven't felt this.. this alive in a long time. My chakra, it's.." He clasped his hands together and began to concentrate his chakra, and instead of the blue force rising out from his body, his "forbidden" power, the demon's red chakra emerged, but it was controlled. Naruto watched as the blazing red fury of the Kyuubi circled around him, dancing about his body. It gave him goose bumps.

"This power," he said to himself in disbelief. "How am I doing this?" He released his hands and broke the chakra cycle as streams of red energy shot around the room and quickly vanished. He watched as the last strain of chakra danced back towards the front door and dissipated into the floor. His eyes remained unmoved for a moment as he collected his thoughts and opinions on what just occurred.

"That dream," he said, softly, as if he was afraid someone was listening in. "That dream meant something, it _had_ to have." He turned and walked over to his bed, and, crawling onto it, he peered out his window and looked out into the busy streets of Konoha. "But what could it possibly mean..?" He shifted off of the bed and onto his feet once again when suddenly he shook his head and put his hands up to his temples in pain. He closed his eyes tightly and, in his mind, he saw Minaya Kaelu, standing tall as if he were in Naruto's doorway. He pointed his index finger out towards him and smirked.

"_Can you feel it..?" And then a flash of lightning._

Naruto's eyes shot open, staring fearfully into the unoccupied doorway. His arms trembled and he felt himself gasping for air. Why did that feel so real?? "What's going on here," he asked himself. He picked himself up and took a step towards the kitchen again when he paused and remembered Hinata's words from the dream..

"_Can you feel it..?"_

Naruto's eyes grew darker and his expression was stern; very worried about Minaya Kaelu being about the village and now extremely worried about Hinata because of it. "I should go check up on her," he decided, reaching into his drawer and pulling out a fresh pair of sandals, a new pair he had just bought. After slipping his feet comfortably into this new pair, he wiggled his feet about and did a couple of running steps in place. "That's good for now," he said. "I'll wear these in as the day goes on." He jogged to his front door, grabbing his wallet and keys. "Well, time to surprise Hinata!"

* * *

"We don't have time," his older brother demanded. "We need to get out of here, as soon as possible."

Atsuke stared at the body in front of him in awe. "Wow, Ka-san. Is this really the Angel? She's pretty. Does she know she's the Angel?"

Kaelu frantically got all of his belongings into his backpack. "No, she doesn't. 'Suke, I'd like to tell you more, but we _really_ are pressed for time."

"Well, why's that?" Atsuke tilted his headed at his brother's strange behavior.

"Sakura, she.." Kaelu sighed, shaking his head, hiding the actual truth from his younger brother. "She found out my disguise, and I can take a good guess that she's told Tsunade about us and they may very well be on their way here now."

Atsuke nodded his head, slowly. "Well, I got all my things ready when you said to, so I guess we're just waiting on you. But.. how are we going to get out of here? Especially with her?" He pointed frantically toward Hinata. "I mean, what if she wakes up? What if she tries to escape?"

"There will be none of that," Kaelu assured. "In her condition, she's not going to be moving anywhere. She's under temporary paralysis."

"But," Kaelu doubted. "How do we get her out of Konoha without anyone noticing and without hurting her?"

"Leave that to me," Kaelu explained. "I can get her out of these walls using my magnetic replacement jutsu. I can transport us both outside the village and I can get myself back in through the walls, and we can leave out the main entrance. We just have to hope there's enough time between our checkout and Tsunade getting to the front gate. If we get caught there," he spoke solemnly, turned to look his little brother eye-to-eye. "If we get stuck there, I'll need you to make a run for this girl's body and I'll catch up with you once I take care of everybody here."

Atsuke, unapproving of his brother's back-up plan, nodded reluctantly. He looked down upon the specimen once again, and began to put this mission in perspective. 'Brother,' he thought to himself. 'We were each taken away from our own lives at a young age, and now, we've resorted to being used by our own government to seek out this girl.. a weapon to be used in war, big brother.. but now.. now, we're taking this girl away from _her_ life, Ka-san. We're destroying the life she once new, and she will now be used.. as a tool, as a weapon, just like us..' Upset, he looked up to his brother who, in a panic, was fitting the last of his belonging into his bag, forcing the zipper shut.

"Okay, Atsuke. We have to go _now_. Let's move it," he put his backpack on and carefully picked Hinata up into his arms. "Run to the front gate, hurry! I'll meet you there!" and in a quick bolt of lightning, he was gone to transport the body of Hyuuga Hinata outside the village gate.

Atsuke slowly grabbed his back, his eyes still where his brother had previously stood. He was upset, confused, and hurt. He lost his grandfather and now he felt that, in panic, he was to lose his brother. Gasuki Atsuke now, more than ever, just wanted to be home, with his mother.

"Mom, please," he begged. "Wherever you are.. watch over us.." he sighed, then he looked up towards the staircase and ran out, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

"Naruto!!" a scream yelped from behind him. Instantly, he recognized the voice as Sakura's and he turned to face her. She was pale, disheveled, and veiled behind a curtain of her own tears. Naruto was speechless and his best friend stumbled down the road, running towards him, arms out, eyes closed, brushing tears away in a trail behind her. With a sudden impact, she ran into him and threw her arms around him, sobbing despairingly.

"Sakura, what the hell happened?" He held her up on her feet and wiped her tears away. She continued to cry incoherently, trying to speak between each and every gasp. After a few seconds, Naruto had enough and he lightly shook her, calling to her until she calmed herself and looked up at him. When he finally had her attention, he looked her in the eyes and asked again, carefully and articulately.

"What.. happened..?"

"It's.. it's Oroyo.." She sniffled, wiping her eyes once again. She threw her arms around Naruto once again, burying her face into his chest. "He did it!"

"Did what, Sakura?" Naruto was beginning to panic. He felt his hands shaking as he held Sakura closely. "What did Oroyo do to you? Did he hurt you??"

"He killed him!!" She yelled, muffled into his chest. "He killed Neji!!"

Naruto's eyes widened as Sakura's words sunk into his heart. He couldn't believe it. He glanced at Sakura's face once more, and her current state told it all. She looked as if she had just seen a ghost. He rubbed her back gently, trying desperately to soothe her nerves.

"I thought Minaya Kaelu was b-"

"No!" she interrupted. She sniffled and took a step back from Naruto, clearing her throat. "Oroyo.. he killed Neji.. and he was the one to attack us, too.." She paused for a second and dropped her arms low. The life had vanished from her eyes and she looked away from her brother figure and towards the ground in shame. "He… He _is_ Kaelu, Naruto.."

Naruto was stunned. He bit his lip, hard.

"It's true, Naruto." She continued. "I had ran into him a short while ago, and I found out about him. I saw him in his true form, as Kaelu. He.. he showed me everything I needed to see.."

In his mind, he was taking himself through the sequence of events: meeting Oroyo, then the mission. The ambush followed, then he remembered waking up to Hinata and Sakura hearing that Neji died. He couldn't possibly have been behind it the whole time..

And yet.. He had been taken out of the action for two days, which gave the bastard enough time to get to Neji..

"But.. why?" He asked, trying to find any kind of reasoning behind the killing. "If he's Kaelu, then he's looking for that Angel thing.. if he killed Neji, then.." Then he stopped himself, his eyes shot open wider and he gasped to himself. In an instant, he remembered the words of his dreams, of what he heard from both Hinata and Kaelu..

"_Can you feel it..?"_

'That being…' Naruto grit his teeth roughly, thinking to himself. 'The Hinata I talked to in my dream.. and then Kaelu.. is he after _her_?? But then.. that would make her the... the.. that's impossible! There's no way..' He glanced up at Sakura, who was now looking on, worried. "I thought they were the grandchildren of Gasuki Aidon.

"They are, Naruto. I can only assume they're using his house as their hideaway. However, Kaelu had told me that Aidon was dead.."

"Dead?! Are you sure??" Naruto yelled out, catching the attention of nearby villagers.

"I can only go by what he told me, but that's what he said to me.."

"Where's Hinata?" He scowled. Sakura was a little afraid of Naruto at this moment. He knew how angry he could become, but this wasn't just a friendship or a mission or something like before. This was love, and this was hatred._ Absolute _hatred. Sakura could see the suffering Naruto was going through, and she felt helpless to stop him, though, at the same time, she believed it shouldn't be helped. She felt that her dear Naruto had every right to feel this way. She was, however, helpless to respond.

"I don't know, Naruto. I haven't seen her since Tsunade's address. That's why I ran to find you. I was desperately hoping she'd be with you.." she lowered her head once more. "He's after Hinata, Naruto. She's the prophecy."

Naruto nodded. "I figured," he agreed, remembering the spirit from his dream. He channeled through each of his recent memories. He remembered watching helplessly as Kakashi was taken down by this creep's Shock Helix. Then, a cowardly attack on Sakura, whom he supposedly had strong feelings for. And, even after all of that, it wasn't enough. He killed Neji and now Naruto could only assume he had killed his own grandfather. "This is too much," Naruto scowled under his breath, clenching his fists together tightly. "He betrayed his family, sabotaged us and Kakashi-sensei, killed Neji and now he's after the girl whom I love more than anyone else.. if he so much as lays a f---ing _finger_ on her.." Naruto began to grunt and growl fiercely. Sakura stepped up to him and placed her hands over his fists. His arms began to twitch and convulse, his breathing became heavy and very labored.

"Naruto, please. Getting angry _now_ isn't going to help any. You need to stay calm, got it?"

Naruto's eyes now shot over to Sakura's, and he peered into hers. His eyes were slowly turning into a bright, fiery red color. She was afraid. She had never seen Naruto this upset before, but she couldn't allow him to lose his cool. Not now, not with everything on the line.

"Naruto, listen to me!" Sakura tugged on his shirt, yelling at him. "I'm hurt, too, Naruto, but I can't lose sight of what needs to be done. We need to find him and find Hinata before something horrible happens to her!"

"I know," his breathing began to calm down, even though his eyes remained red. "I know, something has to be done.." he looked down at his fingers, and saw that his fingernails had grown into sharp, pointed claws. He felt the power of the Kyuubi inside him roaring, pleading to come out and take control.

"Sakura," he said as calmly as he could. "Did you tell Tsunade about this incident yet?"

"No," she said, quietly. "I wanted to find you, first."

"That's okay," Naruto nodded. "I understand you're hurt, and I'm truly very sorry, Sakura-chan.. you don't deserve the kind of pain he made you feel, but if you don't mind, we'll have to talk about that later." His glare rose and looked towards the main gate of the village, though about a mile away, almost straight down the road in front of him. "Go to Tsunade, and tell her everything that's happened. I'm going to Hinata's place to see if she's there or if anybody had seen her. Then I'm going to look for Kaelu. We'll meet at the main entrance to the village as soon as we can, and we'll go from there." Sakura nodded slowly.

"I understand," she replied, still shaking, still distraught from everything that had occurred. "Don't worry about me, Naruto. You hurry and find Hinata. I'll have Tsunade follow me to the gate and I'll have her medical squad inspect the Gasuki house, okay?"

Naruto nodded, "Right, now, let's move it."

Sakura ran back in the direction she came, back to the hospital, where Tsunade was working in her nursing office. Naruto continued along his way towards the Hyuuga community, though with the Nine Tails' chakra, he was able to move a lot faster and a lot swifter to the community, cutting a couple of minute walk into mere seconds.

Naruto ran into the gated Hyuuga household, not wasting any time for pleasantries. He frantically looked about the main courtyard, then he ran in further towards the training area. Nobody was around, or at least outside, at the moment.

"Hinataaa!" He yelled out, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Hinata!! It's Naruto!! Where are you, Hinata?!" He began to run about the complex, calling for her name every so often, until he had gone full circle, stepping into the main courtyard once again. There was no sign of her.

"Uzumaki," a deep, heavy voice from behind him called out. The young boy swiftly turned around and looked into the eyes of one of the most intimidating men in his life: Hyuuga Hiashi. He stood, face to face with his beloved's father, unsure how to even begin explaining the situation. He had hoped, _prayed_ for any way out of this, but he knew he wasn't going to get a break. Not now, not with so much on the line..

"What's all the commotion, boy?" He asked in a stern voice. "I assume," his glare narrowed at the boy he once considered a monster. "You're looking for my daughter. I was actually on my way to ask _you_ where she was."

"So," Naruto's voice began to shake. "She's not here..?"

"No, she isn't." Hiashi crossed his arms angrily. "Where is she, Uzumaki.."

Naruto swallowed hard and took a quick gasp of air. He knew he had to stand up and be a man, and face Hiashi with the truth. This was a pivotal time, and Naruto understood he could not allow himself to be afraid for himself. Naruto prepared the hardest explanation of his life.

"After Tsunade's address," he started, slowly, but gaining speed and confidence as he rolled on. "She said she would be headed home. I went back to my house to rest because my treatment had worn me out, and I actually was on my way to see her when," he stopped and took a deep breath.

"When what?" The man's voice was calmer, but still concerned.

"I ran into Sakura, and she told me that she had discovered Minaya Kaelu in the village." Hiashi scowled in Naruto's direction.

"Kaelu," he muttered, his lip quivered, thinking about Neji and the tragedy his death brought to the clan. "What business does he have here?"

"That's the thing, sir," Naruto explained, carefully. "We believe that he's after Hinata."

"Hinata?" He threw his arms behind him in shock as his robes seemed to dance in the breeze. His voice was angry and strong once more "Why is he after my daughter?"

"Well," Naruto continued. "It is believe that she is the Fallen Angel, the prophecy long promised to the Southern Continent."

Hiashi could not believe the words coming from Naruto. His daughter, the heiress to the Hyuuga Clan, was the Angel? It just couldn't be. So many thoughts and memories of Hinata raced through his mind; he saw all of her struggles, all of her failures. He remembered the horrible things he had said to her about her value to the clan, about her "lack of potential" and "uselessness" to him and his family. He thought of her hard and rigorous training she had put herself through, practically every day, waiting for this.. this boy to come home. He felt the urgency in her trials, her hopes, and her depressions. It was all coming full circle. He, for years, had never taken the time to tell her to be strong..

..and here, she might very well be the strongest of all.

"I know this may not be the right time for this," Naruto said softly, slightly fearful of the deadly man standing tall over him, "but I love your daughter, Hiashi-san, and I'll do everything in my power to find and protect her. Whatever Kaelu is planning, I won't let him get away with it." Naruto took a step back and pivoted his foot to face himself back towards the main gate. "I don't have time to stay and talk, sir. Lady Tsunade is currently being informed of Minaya's finding, and a nation-wide search will soon be underway. I suggest you meet up with the other officials at the front gate of Konoha and we'll reach a strategy there. I'm going to look for Hinata and Kaelu before.." he stopped and realized what he was saying. "Before something.. happens to her.." Naruto ran off towards the gate, in a hurry to search the town for his true love.

"I'll find her, Hyuuga-sama. I promise you I'll bring her back."

Hiashi stood in the middle of the courtyard, watching as this teenager, once loud and obnoxious, stepped up to him as a man and fought for what he believed in. "You've come through, Naruto.." he admitted. "All those things I once believed.. and now, you've proved me wrong. You're a good kid, Naruto." He broke a slight smile out from the corner of his lip. "Good enough for me.. and I'm sure.. perfect for my Hinata."

His smile disappeared as he threw his over robe off and into the circling breeze of the courtyard. Wearing the traditional Hyuuga black and white, he took a moment and cracked his knuckles, preparing himself for what may very well be a difficult day.

"I won't lose another," he told himself as he bolted out of the community, heading towards the gate with the fury and scorn of, for what may have been the first time, a loving father.

* * *

"_Hinata."_

_Neji..?_

_She felt her eyes heavy, and not opening. She felt as if she was floating through space as it spiraled slowly around her. Her slow, comfortable breathing seemed to echo through the gentle breeze, warm in the calm of her dream, setting the mood for her experience._

"_Hinata, my dear sister."_

_Neji, where are you..?_

"_I'm within you, Hinata. In your heart, in your mind."_

_Neji, I'm scared.. what's going on..? Where am I?_

"_You must live on, Hinata. You can't die, so much is at stake.."_

_Neji.. brother.. _

_She opened her eyes, and found herself in the middle of her training grounds back home. It was warm and silent. A gentle breeze was present but it carried silently across the terrain. A few yards in front of her, she saw, back turned to her, Neji, standing in front of the memorial kept in the far side of the grounds. He knelt down, placing his hand on the marble below, tracing his fingers over where his name had recently been cut. He shook his head, chuckling to himself._

"_One day, and my name is already on the stone.." he got up to his feet slowly, brushing off his robe, still looking down. "You know, it's certainly different to look at your own name on this.. and to see my name alongside the legendary ninja of this clan. It's so.. honoring." He lifted his head and looked behind him with a sincere smile that Hinata had never before seen on her cousin. "Hello, Hinata."_

_The hovering feeling was still upon her and, looking down, she found that neither of her feet were actually touching the ground. She pointed her left foot towards the ground, wanting to stand on her own to approach her cousin, and she slowly lowered herself down, coming down gently upon her two feet. Hinata stumbled forward a brief moment before balancing herself. Neji smiled at her warmly and took a couple of steps towards her.._

_Neji!_

_She took a couple of running steps towards him, stopping a couple of feet away.._

_Neji, is that really you..?_

_She slowly reached out to touch him. This _had_ to be a dream.._

"_I'm sorry, Hinata," he spoke softly, looking away, rubbing his arm nervously. "There were things I never got to do, things I never got to say." He offered a smile again and raised his arms up and to her shoulders. She could feel the warmth from his body._

"_I'm sorry I had to go, Hinata. I guess it was just my time.."_

_No, Neji. You didn't deserve this! He took your life away from you!!_

_He put his finger to her lips._

"_Shhh.. it's okay," he reassured her. "I did what I had to do. I defended my home and protected the honor of my clan, my family and friends."_

_Neji!! You didn't have to.._

_She felt the tears returning.._

_You could've saved yourself.._

"_Hinata," he whispered. "I followed my ninja way, just as you have. I fought till the very end with you and the rest of the village in mind. I have no regrets." He put his hand to her cheek. "I just came to tell you some things and, well.. to say good-bye.."_

_No… no, brother, please.._

_Neji smirked at her, "You've got a real keeper, Hinata. Uzumaki will protect you with his life, and I know he won't let you down. You just need to hang in there.."_

_Hang in there? From what?_

"_I can't say, Hinata. You'll soon open your eyes, and you'll see that I'm right." He smiled, running his index finger down her cheek. "You love him, right?"_

_A single tear ran down her cheek. She nodded slowly, breathing heavily and slowly to prevent sobbing._

"_Just believe in him, my sister. He'll come through. He always does."_

_Neji…_

"_Tell your dad I said hi, and that I'm sorry I didn't come home. Tell him I love him and that I'll see him again one day.."_

_She could stop the tears no longer._

"_Tell my team, Gai-sensei, my friends.. I said good-luck in everything, and to not ever forget their ninja way.."_

_She flung her arms around him, crying fiercely into his chest._

_Neji!! Stop it, please!! Don't leave me!_

"_Hinata," he put his hand softly to the back of her head, holding her close to him, his other arm around her. "You've come such a long way, and we've grown together, helping each other along the way, and I thank you.. with all my heart.."_

_She could only sob, trembling in his arms, held by his warmth, unable to speak._

"_I love you, Hinata, and I thank you for everything.. I'll carry you with me, always.." _

_Don't leave me.._

"_Good-bye, Hinata." She felt his lips gently upon her forehead, and for that moment, she stopped crying. She looked up at him, his eyes bright, and his smile still warm. She felt his presence being pulled away, and she closed her eyes, burying herself once more to his chest, hugging him one last time, this time with tears of compassion, and of love.._

_I'll never forget you, Neji.._

_And slowly, her arms crept closer and closer together until they were together as she hugged herself tightly. She felt the training ground disappear and her body feel as if floating once again. She was once again surrounded by the eerie silence that crept through her dreams. She took a deep breath and dropped her arms to her side. She lifted her head up high, and looking straight up, she opened her eyes. This time, she was not completely in darkness as one single, bright star hovered over her, shining down upon her. One last whisper.._

"_Hinata.."_

_And one last good-bye that she would never forget.._

* * *

"Gasuki Atsuke," the boy stated with his heavy backpack weighing him down like a turtle. "I'm leaving Konoha at the request of the Hokage's lockdown."

"Yeah, I know," the guard said to the boy, feeling rejected about having to make the kid leave. "Sorry for all the trouble, but it's been a rough week up here and it's something that has to be done."

"I understand, sir. It's no big deal." The guard went through his visitors' book and found Atsuke's name listed, crossing it out.

"Somebody came along with you on this trip, right? Where is he at?" Atsuke bean to fumble with his explanation when a voice carried from behind him.

"Sorry I'm late," it was Oroyo, running quickly from the direction of the Gasuki house. "Last second packing to do."

"It's fine," the guard said, crossing off Oroyo's name as well. "Again, I'm sorry this is happening and it's a shame you guys can't stay but orders are orders."

"It's no problem, really. We had a blast on our visit," Oroyo exclaimed, obviously not as thrilled as the words he had used.

"Well, you're all clear, now." The guard said to the foreign pair. "We hope you come back again, soon!" The three exchanged nods and soon Oroyo and Atsuke were on their way, exiting the village through the historic gate. Upon exiting, the made a quick turn to the right and, once out of view, Oroyo quickly removed his disguise, rolling his left shoulder in disgust.

"What the hell is wrong with me," he asked, frustrated. "Why is my shoulder _still_ hurting. The attack was four days ago, I should've healed by now." He cringed to himself, remember the pain he felt with the kunai lodged in his shoulder set off an electric chain reaction, shooting thousands of volts into his own body. 'Maybe,' he thought to himself. 'Maybe it _is_ infected.. maybe I should've let Sakura-chan look when she offered.'

He sighed, shaking his head and the pain away. "Too late for that, now. Follow me, Atsuke, Hinata's body is laying in the shade a little to the south," he pointed further to the right, around the gate. "Let's retrieve her and get her to shore. I'll explain the rest of my plan as we go."

"What plan, brother?" Atsuke's eyes widened as he asked. He was still confused by his brother's recent actions and now, this new plan.

Kaelu smirked at Atsuke. "You'll understand. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but one day, you'll understand why I'm going to do this," he motioned with his hand for Atsuke to follow him, and his little brother nodded as they sprinted along the perimeter of the gate at tremendous speed, hiding in the trees from view of the watchmen along the village border.

Along the run, Kaelu explained his feelings to Atsuke; about Sakura, about the Southern Government, about the prophecy, and about life. He agreed with Atsuke that it was wrong to take one's life away, and that he wasn't looking to end of ruin another life while on this journey.

"Well," he joked. "With the exception of the bastards that used us for war."

"So," Atsuke asked. "What exactly are we going to do about Hinata?"

"We'll take care of her," Kaelu mentioned. "I told Sakura, before I left, not to interfere what needs to be done. If all goes to plan, We'll return Hinata home safely and we'll leave the village of Konoha in peace. I'm concerned that a party will be sent after us to retrieve her, which is most likely to happen. If that does, we'll need to draw them to shore where we'll meet with Takeno and his men, at which time we'll awaken the powers of the Angel ourselves to be used against those power-hungry slugs."

"What if we get ambushed? I mean, if some people really find Hinata important, then they probably wouldn't hesitate to attack us."

Kaelu took a deep breath, thinking about Naruto and how he must be feeling right now. "we'll just have to deal with that when the time comes." He turned to his little brother. "If it comes to that, I don't not want you to fight. You are to stay behind and protect yourself from harm. Got it?" Atsuke nodded slowly. Kaelu put his arm around the boy comfortingly.

"I'm sorry I got you in this mess, brother," he admitted. "There are many actions I've taken along this mission that I wish I could take back, but what's done is done, and we can only hope to fix the mess. I got us into this awkward situation, and I'll get us out, don't worry, okay?" Atsuke nodded, smiling.

"That's the Kaelu I know!" He laughed. "Remember, you _are_ the greatest ninja of the South, right?"

Kaelu smirked, nodding, but thinking to himself a different opinion.

'_If I can even be called a ninja after everything I've done, sure.. but you don't understand how much I'm hurting, kid. Both mentally and physically, I'm worn out. This mission has been more than even _I _can handle..'_

* * *

The clouds were rolling in from the south. Another hot and humid thunderstorm was on its way, ready to hit the village around nightfall. In the streets, however, another storm was brewing as Uzumaki Naruto searched frantically for young Hyuuga Hinata who had gone missing earlier in the afternoon. With every intersection, it had become more and more intense. He found himself running into a shadow clone of himself at practically every corner, each sharing nothing but bad news concerning the search.

"Damnit!" He cursed to himself. "She's not here!" He took out his anger on a nearby shadow clone, punching it far into the distance as it disappeared in a puff of smoke. "How could I let that prick get away with her!? When I get my hands on him, I'm going to kill him!" He stamped his foot into the ground and then made a right at the intersection he was at, heading towards the gate at full speed. In the distance, he saw quite a few people had gathered at the main entrance, many of them prominent figures to the community. He saw Tsunade at the patrol booth, talking with Sakura to the guards on duty. He saw Hinata's father, Hiashi, as well as Kakashi-sensei and Jiraiya as well. The most emotional of the group appeared to be Tsunade, as she seemed to be giving quite the scolding to the guards on duty.

"Tsunade-sama!" Naruto yelled as he approached the group. "What's going on here?"

Tsunade glared at Naruto, fists planted on the counter of the booth. "Naruto," she said gravely. "Kaelu and his accomplice are already gone." Naruto gasped. How could he have gotten away? "We've sent an investigation to the Gasuki residence for clues, but they're long gone, Naruto, and.. well.."

"Hinata's with them," he finished. Tsunade didn't respond. She knew the answer would be painful, speaking it or not.

"We have evidence," Jiraiya added, "to believe that they will not be leaving the continent until Monday, which is still three days away. This gives us all of tomorrow and the day after to search the surrounding areas of the village and of the Southern coast. If he was told to rendezvous at a particular location on the beach, which is assumed he would, then, at dawn of the third day, we cut him off there."

"Wait," Naruto took a moment, interrupting. "Tomorrow? What's stopping us from going now? There's still some daylight left, I mean, if we can at least begin searching the immediate area maybe we can surprise him while he's already—"

"Naruto, that's enough!!" Kakashi intervened. "Look up, will ya'?" Naruto looked at Kakashi, then slowly up to the sky. The thick, grey clouds were bowling over the atmosphere above them, coming together, shading most of the village under its dark, cool veil. "We all know what this ninja is capable of with his raijutsu abilities. If we attempt an attack underneath the fury of a thunderstorm, we'll be walking right into his advantage, and we'll be sitting ducks. Our best chance would be after the storm has passed, so that if it comes to battle, he won't be able to recharge chakra nearly as quick."

"But, we're losing precious time!!" Naruto began to flip out. "This is ridiculous! Hinata is all alone out there with two strangers that only want her for her.. her power, and who knows _what_ they're planning to do with her!! How could you possibly expect me to sit here and wait around until morning while she's out there, suffering at the hands of these monsters!!" He frantically looked at Sakura, looking for any way out. "Sakura, please! You understand, right?"

She could only look at him with dimmed, saddened eyes.

"Sakura? Please, you understand me, don't you?" He looked around towards everyone else, looking for any form of agreement. "Doesn't anyone care what happens to her?! What if they kill her! If they hurt her, I swear…" he began to shake violently, clenching his fists tightly. "I swear to _all of you_!!" He reopened his eyes, and everyone saw and knew what was happening. The red engulfed him; his eyes, his body. His fangs grew out from his incisors. Naruto was becoming quickly dangerous, and Kakashi moved in to calm him down immediately.

"Stop this, Naruto! You'll only make matters worse!" He struggled to restrain him as Jiraiya also had to move him, holding the boy by his shoulders. Soon, the red chakra began to wrap itself around his senseis' arms and binded around their limbs strongly. Kakashi winced, now trying to pull away from his grip. Jiraiya, having a slightly easier time, still struggled with the chakra as he crept further and further up his arm.

"You just.. don't.. UNDERSTAND!" Naruto screamed out at the top of his lungs, yelling out in anger and sorrow as the demon's chakra now grabbed his two loving teachers and literally threw them off of him and into the dirt road a few feet away. Chakra poured out of his body like a fountain, as did the sorrowful tears from his scarlet eyes. Jiraiya brushed himself off, then helped Kakashi to his feet, as his long-time sensei was still weak and recoving from his surgery.

* * *

Kaelu continued to set up camp in the brush of a large tree towards the northwest of the village. They needed a good sleep before their long journey to the Southern shore. Kaelu was putting the final touches on the small canopy that would protect them from the rain when he saw a glow coming from underneath the structure. Puzzled, he hustled to the trunk of the giant tree, and saw Hinata, in her sleep, illuminating with bright, purple chakra. His eyes continued to trace her body, up and down, as this immense energy pulsated from her. He felt the extreme power as the chakra danced in the air around him, sending shivers down his spine.

"Atsuke, hey Atsuke!" but the boy was nowhere to be found. He had sent the kid for a pail of water from the small river to the North. Kaelu continued to eye this girl, this presence, and he mouthed the end of the prophecy to himself again, knowing the pain that must be felt miles from where he was..

"Uzumaki…"

* * *

Sakura, still deep in thought from everything that had happened today, now figured it was her turn to act, and she felt that if anyone could get through to Uzumaki Naruto at this time, it would have to be her. She ran up to Naruto, who was breathing heavily, buckling under the intensity of his own chakra.

"Naruto, listen to me! Please! I understand! I know how you feel!" She braved the chakra and stepped forward into his burning aura, wincing as she inched closer to him until her hands were firmly on his shoulders. "Naruto," she cried out, yelling behind all of the sound made by the churning of his chakra. "Please stop this! I understand, Naruto! Please believe me!"

His blood thirsty eyes gazed up at her and her deep, caring glance. She _did_ understand. Of course she did. He breathing calmed down, and within moments, the chakra stopped pouring from his body, his shaking stopping, his wincing coming to a sudden halt. Small amounts of smoke rose form Sakura's body as she withstood the heat from the Nine Tails' powerful energy.

"Naruto," she said softly, keeping her hands firm on his shoulders. "I know you love her, Naruto. I do, too, and it hurts me so much that she's been taken from us," he looked away, not wanting to really be lectured by his teammate. "But," she went on, "If we went now, we'd only put her and ourselves in more danger. I know you want to rescue her, Naruto. So do I. I want nothing more than to have her back home, but we need to be patient, Naruto. Going out in the storm only puts us at his mercy."

He remained silent as he gathered his thoughts together. "Hinata," he whispered, though everyone heard him. A single tear rolled down his cheek. "Hang in there, alright? I have faith in you, and I love you, Hinata. With all my heart," his words brought heavy emotions to the entire group, including a tear from Tsunade as she watched one of her own come to the realization of the troubles at hand. "Please, hang in there, for all of us; for me."

Tsunade stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, over Sakura's. She watched as his eyes slowly dimmed back to their deep blue tint. "Naruto," she said to him. "I will accompany you on this mission to retrieve Hinata, as will Sakura and one more. Tonight, I will contact Rock Lee, and ask for his presence on this mission. This team, containing brains, brawn, and sheer will and stamina, will be everything we need to fight this presence. We will leave tomorrow at dawn for the forest."

"Tsunade-sama," Sakura replied. "When I spoke to Kaelu-san, he said for us to let him do what he needs to do, and that everything will be okay. 'I don't wish to kill anyone,' he told me."

"He can't be trusted, Sakura." Tsunade replied to her, hesitantly, understanding the girl's desperation. "I understand the relations you formed with him while he was here, but you have to realize that he _was_ in disguise, and that chances are it was an act to get at what he wanted. Although I can keep that in mind, I can't allow for myself or for any of us to let our guards down.. This mission is too important for this village to take lightly, and whatever his true feelings for you are, I simply cannot take that into account. He has commited manslaughter, murder, and now, kidnapping." Tsunade looked at Jiraiya and Kakashi. "I'm sure they agree with me when I say this is far too dangerous to let slide so easily."

"Sakura," Kakashi added. "I may not understand how you feel about him, or what he possibly feels for you, but you need to remember. This kid is a weapon, a murderer. He took the life of Hyuuga Neji and he almost took ours as well. Even if he said he loved you in disguise, that scar on your stomach tells a completely different story."

She put her hand to her stomach, a frown creeping over her face. She knew they were right. She knew he was dangerous, that he shouldn't be trusted, and that he was a stranger, even as Oroyo from the start. She was foolish.

"Don't worry, you two," Tsunade quickly added. "We'll get Hinata back, and we'll bring this guy to justice once and for all, and prevent any further infiltrations from occurring."

"If we don't stop Kaelu," Kakashi explained. "We may very well end up at war, so he have to prepare like this was part of the battle itself. Everyone needs a good night's rest so that we can be at the top of our game tomorrow."

Tsunade turned to Kakashi, "You're in charge of Konoha while I'm away, Kakashi. I have a few alarm tags with me. You'll keep an eye out from the center of the village, and if you see or hear any of the tags, you're to send immediate back-up to the location of the explosion."

"Right," he replied. "And your back-up will be Jiraiya, Hiashi, and the three ambassadors of the sand."

"Hold on, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura spoke softly, in a concerned voice with matching expression. "You won't be coming with us?"

Kakashi sighed and stepped up to Sakura slowly. Naruto noticed he didn't have his cane today, though he wondered if Sakura knew he had previously used one. "Sakura," he said. "The injury from the Shock Helix is still affecting my body, and the surgery, though a success, was only the beginning of a long and painful process. Tsunade has suggested that.. that I not take part in this mission."

Sakura and Naruto both frowned. They had wanted their sensei to be by their side as they pursued their friend, but they understood how important it was that Kakashi get back to full health as efficiently as possible.

"Well, then." Tsunade exclaimed. "I don't have much more to say on this matter right now. Let's all get a good rest and we'll discuss further in the morning. I want all of us here at around four thirty in the morning. That's about an hour before dawn. I'll discuss our plan of action and we'll build our strategy from there. Understoood?" Everyone nodded around her at different times. "Good, now let's get some rest. Tomorrow morning, we have a war to stop."

Kakashi nodded and turned to walk back home, as did Jiraiya and Hiashi. Tsunade stayed to talk with the border patrol as Sakura kept her arm at Naruto's shoulder, the two exchanging a glance of hope, confidence, and prayer. Tsunade stepped from the booth and turned to head back to her office when she stopped and gazed over at Naruto and Sakura, brother and sister, sharing the pain, sharing the sorrow, and sharing the hope. Hope they felt would be strong enough to take back their friend from a horrible fate.

Uzumaki stared out, beyond the village, outside the gate, down the long and narrow road he would soon trek to retrieve his own, his love, his future. Sunrise could not come soon enough as he now had to wait impatiently for the opportunity to strike.

The clouds began to settle in over them slowly as the sunset gave way to the storm that churned above. Naruto's eyes had returned back to their natural blue for the moment, but he was still as intense as ever. He looked back to his teammates, giving it everything he had just to keep himself calm, just to not blow up with rage..

..and just to now burst into tears.

"Tomorrow," he said confidently, he teammates giving their full attention.

"We take back what's ours."

* * *

Reviews appreciated as always! hope you enjoyed!

* * *

NOTICE- This Monday I will be moving back in to school for my fourth year of college! Woo! Unfortunately, I will not have a computer the first few days while on campus. I will be waiting until my new laptop arrives.

Because of this, I will not be giving a set date for Chapter 15, though I can promise it will be out at the very latest, two weeks from now, so hang tight, and again, thanks for reading and staying with me! NaruHina power!!

s.p.


	15. With Hearts Ablaze

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is owned by its rightful creators, storywriters, and artists, as well as anyone I may have missed.

Note to my readers..

I apologize for the inconvenience of such a long delay between chapters, but due to a full-time job, my status as a full-time senior in college, and many many personal issues i've had with friends and family, time to complete this story has been very difficult.'

I would like to thank those who have stuck around and waited. You all mean alot to me and I hope to get this party started again and this story done by the end of this month, so that I may continue to newer, more exciting projects.

Your support would be appreciated as I try and get through these hard times. I love to hear from people, especially those who appreciate what I write. Thank you again.

skye parlot.

* * *

**Risen- A naruHina Fanfic  
Chapter Fifteen **

With Hearts Ablaze 

The sun began to peer over the dark, low-hanging clouds in the east. It had taken only an instant to feel the heat, the presence of the rising sun, and the four ninja of the Leaf Village soon felt the burning of what may be a treacherous day.

Rock Lee stood leaning against the entrance to the village, looking out towards the rest of his team. Tsunade and Sakura stood side by side a few yards out, with Naruto a bit further down the road, pacing to himself. Rock Lee had been having a rough week, himself. With all of the controversy with the killer on the loose, the village had been using many of the ANBU and jounin of the village to patrol and investigate. With handling a lot of the smaller missions in succession, and dealing with the loss of his friend and teammate, it had been just as taxing on him as it had been on the rest of the ninja in the village.

But now, amongst the three people who have been in the heart of the tragedy, be felt uncomfortable and out of place. He couldn't even _begin_ to fathom what they had been through this week, and when he had been asked by Shizune to accompany them in this mission, he didn't hesitate to help. He didn't hesitate to stand up for his village, his fallen brother, and his two dear, distraught friends.

Tsunade peered out, beyond the gate to the winding dirt road, one she had walked many times before in the past. Her eyes followed each tree, each dancing leaf, each patch of dirt thrown up into the breeze. She didn't speak a word, but in her very eyes were the fear of this unfolding mission. She had to step forward and protect her village, her people, against possibly the strongest individual force in the world.

She reminded herself the pain, the damage.. Naruto.. Sakura.. Kakashi.. Neji..

"..Hinata.." she mumbled. Her eyes shifted and focused now on the beaten path in front of her. Further down that road, however, stood a young man, facing out towards the unknown, to certain danger, and to an uncertain rescue. Uzumaki Naruto did not sleep this night, rather, he spent the darkness pacing about, looking out in the direction of the shore frequently. He spent all night gazing back and forth between the trees and the shore in the distance and the full moon, keeping the night alive with an eerie calm.

All he knew right now was her. All he wanted was to hold her close, to tell her that he loved her. To tell her that she was safe.

"Hinata," he whispered, his eyes fixated on the road in front of him. So many thoughts were racing through his head. His mind was filled with nightmares: mental images that were slowly scarring him, picking at his very sanity. _What were they doing to her?_ He scowled to himself. He swore to himself, to everyone near and dear to him, he would save her and he would tear apart anyone who hurt her.

"Naruto!" a familiar voice spoke out to him. He turned around and, between him and Tsunade, his best friend, his sister, Sakura, stepped out towards him, slowly, cautiously. She offered the best smile she could, but Naruto only responded with a nod of his head, his expression unmoving. Her smile quickly disappeared at the seriousness of today. "Did you sleep?"

"No," he whispered. "I didn't feel the need to." Sakura shook her head, eyes trailing to the ground below them, between them.

"You need to rest your body, Naruto. You got so worked up yesterday, and I'm sure you're still as stressed now." She put her hand to his shoulder ever so gently. His eyes followed her hand as her fingertips touched down upon his shoulder. Her touch, though slight, felt warm; it was something he, in fact, needed to keep calm. Sakura was one of those handful of people that could truly understand him and, even now, he could barely understand himself. He was churning on the inside, doing everything he could to not let his anger spill out and explode. Never had he been this impatient for a mission before..

Sakura looked back to her mentor very concernedly. She hadn't heard sensei speak all morning, and it began to bother her. Just what was she thinking about? She turned back to her partner brushing his elbow with her hand as she turned around.

"Wait here," she whispered as she walked towards Tsunade. Naruto's eyes followed her hand until it dropped back to her side, then he slowly returned to facing the path leading out to this new journey. 'I wonder what Tsunade has planned for our attack,' she thought to herself, trying to figure out a proper procedure, herself, though she knew she wasn't as strategic as her Tsunade. She always suggested ideas and input in hopes that her sensei would see her progression in regards to missions. Sakura, since her training with Tsunade, had been working hard not only to become a strong medical ninja, but a strong and great leader.

By this point Rock Lee had moved to Tsunade's right, almost as if keeping the same distance between Sakura and himself. He knew of Sakura's latest encounter with the "new boy," but this didn't stop him from keeping his promise to her. 'I'll protect you,' he reminded himself. 'Until the day I die.'

Sakura approached Lee and her mentor carefully, looking back once towards Naruto to make sure he would stay put. Tsunade looked up towards the young man and yelled out for him to join the rest of the team. He did not answer. Again, she screamed out.

"Naruto! Get your ass over here! This is important!"

Nothing.

He heard her, all right. It actually echoed through his mind. However, so did everything else. This week home had not been what he expected, and not only was he scared for his own life, but for the lives of his teammates and his true love. He was afraid of war, and losing anyone else to this terrible person. He was angry for Neji, Kakashi-sensei, and for every unknown person this… this monster had killed.

…Monster…

He threw that word around so much lately, had it lost its meaning? No, no it couldn't have. It was a word he grew up with, a word that tagged him through and through for the first twelve years of his life. Monster. He was the same one to prove his name for who he really was on the inside. He was the one who could prove to anybody that they weren't that terrible name. Monster. He could show the light of the way to anybody and everybody he encountered, give them hope, give them love and encouragement.

And here he was, amongst the people closest to him, calling someone a monster.

And it didn't bother him. Not one bit.

He closed his eyes and tighten the grip in his fists. In his mind, he felt the red chakra swim violently through him. He saw it flowing about him like veins at first. As it intensified it grew more erratic within him. It grew brighter in color and began to pick up speed. The mental display he was projecting to himself was stunning, it felt invigorating and, for once, it felt controlled. It truly felt that he wanted this, that he was in control of this…

…but that wasn't enough.

* * *

_Naruto stood at the foot of the tall, towering gate, looking in. Behind the bars was black, total darkness, but he knew who was back there. What was back there. He had known this gate all too well, and yet, here he was, standing tall, but for a different purpose. _

"Naruto!" a voice boomed, echoing through the giant chamber. The pool of water along the ground rippled out from the inside of the prison. The huge concrete walls and floor gentle shook. Slowly, the horrible eyes from within opened, and Naruto gazed directly into them. Then, he saw the sly smile of the beast within, that wicked smile, those dastardly fangs. As typical, the terror was calm and scheming quietly, staring out to the boy that he called his home, his resting point, his… his prison.

The boy folded his arms across his chest, lowering his head slightly and strengthening his glare towards the massive beast. The kyuubi saw the seriousness in the boy's eyes and his wicked smirk grew wider.

"And just what brings you here?" The deep voice bellowed again.

Naruto didn't respond. He clenched his fists tightly hidden behind his forearms and cleared his throat. This wasn't the enemy, though it was in the way. Naruto had control of this dreaded chakra, but he wanted more.. More power, more energy, more.. Just more! He took a step forward towards the Kyuubi and dropped his right arm to his side, extending his left arm, palm face up, towards the being.

"Kid," the voice from the shadows boomed. "If you're in a tough spot, and you need my chakra, all you have to do is admi-"

"Can it," a teenage voice quickly retorted. "I'm not here to negotiate." He gripped his left hand into a fist quickly and tightly and from that wrist circled red chakra that flowed into the water like a waterfall of energy and flowed freely right past the bars of the gate and into the shadows of the nine tailed demon. The intensity magnified and the streams grew in size, second by second, until the streams of power seemed to engulf Naruto and flow like a rapid river beyond the gate. Then, a roar from the sinful sanctuary, an ear-deafening howl, and amidst the red river of power emerged the massive, intimidating creature within Uzumaki Naruto.

He stood on his hind legs lurching forward, his claws extended, his eyes burning bright red, his awful smile, his white jagged fangs shed some light in the dimmed cavern. Naruto's eyes followed the monster's, the two's locked on each other in a deep stare that seemed to delve into each other's souls.

"I have control of you," Naruto said calmly. "I do not fear you."

The demon's smile quickly evaporated and with an angry scowl, he roared out to Naruto in a fury that could only be as sinister as the Kyuubi itself.

"How dare you," the demon shouted. "Make a mockery of me, will you! Why should I lend you ANY of my power, boy?! You need me! You're nothing without me!"

It was at this time that Naruto closed his eyes and remember the amazing display from his dream. He pictured Hinata clearly in his mind. Her heavenly body reaching out to him in a remarkable display of white and purple and everything in between. She remember her calling to him.. And now, now he would use it to reach his true power.

Naruto extend his fingers slowly and the chakra wrapped around his fingers ever so gently as if it were a string. After the third time around his fingertips, he clenched his arm tightly, his hand clasping into a fist, his fingertips snapping hard into his palm. The chakra fluttered around his wrist, though some sparked off and dissipated in a fantastic showing of red light. He opened his eyes slowly and, with the calmest of tones, spoke to the room, and his world, his dominance.

"… I can feel it…"

With that, he pulled hard with his left arm and pulled his wrist to his side, the chakra still wrapped around his arm and flowing down and into the cage. In one fell swoop, the colossal being was pulled forward, hard. He fell to his front legs, and the room filled with a massive boom and a shattering echo. The monster roared out in shock and he tried to pull himself away and back into the darkness, but the hold was too strong. Naruto had literally grabbed him by the reins and now, the mighty Kyuubi was at the mercy of his Jinchuuriki, his container. The once sly and kneiving demon from within was now confused and distraught at the sight of this.. This boy! This once petty and weak child had now grown into the prophecy he once scoffed. He had control over him, HE, the strongest of the bijuu, the incredible nine-tailed fox!

"How… HOW are you doing this?!" The monster pleaded.

"Because," Naruto said, his eyes now red with the Kyuubi's hatred. "I'm in love, and I'll do anything in my power to protect that feeling."

"Love!" The Kyuubi scoffed and laughed out loud to himself. "You're in love, boy.. Now, ain't that something." The smirk recapture itself on the demon's face. "Love can make people go crazy, boy." He chuckled to himself. "It suuuure can."

* * *

"Our target is currently located along the 8-mile stretch of shore along the Konogare Ocean to the south," the captain and hokage began. "If he is not at that location, then it is most likely he will be in hiding until his rendezvous arrives, in which case, we wait for him." Sakura and Lee listened tentatively, while Naruto still stood a good distance away, seemingly out of it.

"What's our method of attack?" Sakura looked up at her teacher.

"To ambush and overwhelm him, hopefully before the rest of his party arrives. We have no way of assuming how many people or soldiers are in his escort, though we know for sure that right now, his party only consists of him and his brother, if Gasuki Atsuke is even capable of fighting." Tsunade turned to Lee. "If the younger brother is apt at fighting, it will be your job to slow him down, Lee. End that fight as quickly as you can."

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded in reply. "But, what about Kaelu? A ninja as powerful as he, the youth of the unknown southern continent, is surely a force to reckon with, even with Konoha's finest!"

"Kaelu is powerful, but not invinsible," Tsunade reminded her students. "Though his attacks are extremely dangerous in magnitude and effect to the human body, let's not forget the fact that he's still human, and that this power come at a price."

"That's right," Sakura added. "Kaelu has a lot of chakra to begin with, and considering his exceptional raiton ability, he knows how to effectively manage and use his power in battle."

"But, after a while, he loses his chakra and becomes tired, right? I mean, the challenge is surviving long enough until then, right?"

"Well, not really," Sakura explained to Lee. "Kaelu has the ability to channel any electrical current around him and convert it, through his body, into pure chakra. Each of his chakra points has been trained to accept this kind of electrical flow.

"But what is does to his body," Tsunade continued. "is the downside to his ability. Minaya Kaelu has been gifted with infinite chakra supply, but until the electric flow reaches his heart gate and is converted, it still acts as lightning and basically burns him from the inside out."

Rock Lee gasped. "So, every time he refuels, basically, he's shocking himself with the same power."

Tsunade nodded in reply. "He's basically surrendering his body to the electricity in order to control it, so, in a way, Lee, you're right."

"He tries to finish the fight as fast and with as little effort as possible, so that he doesn't have to pull into his reserves," Sakura added. "Once he starts drawing power from everything around him, he begins to damage himself. Theoretically, if a fight lasted long enough, he would incapacitate himself due to all of the shocking and burning to his system.

"Right!" Lee pounded his fist into his open palm. "So we'll just have to defeat him before that point is reached!"

"If only it were that easy," Tsunade explained. "We'll be fighting him most like ly on the beaches, just off of the ocean. Mix that in with the cloud covering and we're already giving him a massive advantage."

"He can connect electric lines with his fingertip and any conduct," Sakura said solemnly, lifting the bottom of her shirt up to Lee, revealing to him the end result. "This is what can happen."

"The lightning bolt is so condensed with force and chakra, that it was able to burn right through her. Though it sounds almost ridiculous to ask," Tsunade pressed. "You have to avoid being hit directly with his thunderbolt."

Lee nodded. This was going to be so exciting, he couldn't contain his goofy smile.

"Lee," Sakura added with Tsunade listening to her student prepare for battle. "You're the fastest one out of us three. It's your responsibility to engage Kaelu in close combat and every chance you get. As a raiton specialist, he prides himself on keeping his distance and using his electric powers to control the battlefield. By keeping close quarters with him, he won't have the time to effectively use his attacks."

"And," Tsunade jumped in. "He will only damage himself in the process. One thing about raijutsu is that it's basically electricity discharged from one conduct to another. The intensity of the blast is what makes it dangerous, especially to those ninja without experience in the field. For example, Kakashi was able to prevent most internal damage during his fight, but his skin and exterior still burned as a normal lightning strike. It was only until Kaelu's physical attack that internal damage was done."

"And even then, those physical attacks damage Kaelu at the same time." Sakura put her hand to Lee's shoulder as an example. "See, if I discharge my electricity into a person while in physical contact, then in turn, I would become part of the conduct, and the magnitude of the attack would just circle back into my body as pure electricity."

Lee gasped, "I think I got it! So, if I can keep in close combat, and keep attacking with barrage after barrage of my amazing taijutsu, he won't be able to attack from a distance, and by attacking me in hand-to-hand combat, he'll slow himself down faster, giving us the advantage!" Tsunade and Sakura glared at Lee's obvious statement. "… what? Don't worry, Tsunade ma'am, Sakura-san. I will take out his hands and arms as fast as I can, and I will protect you with every bit of power I have!!" Lee saluted the Hokage, rising a giggle from my teammate. He turned to Sakura and blushed slightly.

Lee pumped his fists again, in confirmation of his plan. "Without the use of his arms, we will have a better advantage because he won't be as effective with controlling his electricity."

"Just remember, we still have to be careful," Tsunade said. "Since we'll be fighting him along the shoreline, he will have that infinite supply of power because of the setting. The water and cloud cover will be all the conduct he'll need."

"We need a way to make sure that he's hurt by his own attacks just as much as we would be," Sakura added. "But don't worry. I have an idea."

"As for Naruto," Tsunade addressed, back to business. "I really don't think he can be helped right now, and I'm sorry to say that." Sakura frowned and looked down to the ground. She felt bad for him, and yet, there he was over there. He seemed so secure, so calm, it was almost frightening to her.

"He's going to use whatever is in his power to bring her back, and I fear that interfering may only affect our plan in a negative manner. All we can do is believe in him and his ability, and back him up when he needs it." Tsunade looked over to Naruto and shook her head. "I know how it feels to lose a loved one. You want to do everything in the world to bring them back. We just have to have faith in him. He won't put Hinata's life in danger."

"What about his own?" Sakura asked, worried.

"That," Tsunade replied, sighing under her breath, "is in his control."

* * *

_"What do you know about love?" the boy tested the beast. The fox chuckled in its deep booming laugh, the room seemed to rumble at every noise it made. _

"Just because I'm a sinister, monstrous being doesn't mean I don't have a heart," the Kyuubi responded. "Do I know love. PLEASE." the demon scoffed. "You make it seem like I'm some kind of monster," it laughed. Naruto wasn't laughing.

"Give me your power, you bastard. All of it." His eyes grew darker and his glare deepened. He held his left arm up to his chest, his fist still closed, as if still holding the rope of chakra tightly. The demon scowled at him, but after a while, he calmed back into his vicious smile.

"Love is driving you, boy." The beast laughed loudly. "It's been so long since I've tasted the blood of a reckless ninja. You wish to kill, don't you?"

Naruto stared into the soul of the monster.

"I see the bloodthirst in your eyes."

He stared into his heart.

"Who do you wish to kill?"

He stared into himself.

They both smirked as the room befell to complete darkness. Only their red eyes lit in the eerie black.

"Can you feel it…?"

* * *

A quick, heavy wind rushed over the three shinobi, and roared across the edge of the forest and swirled through the village. Tsunade and Lee held their ground firmly. Sakura, with her back facing Naruto, was caught off guard and flung forward, grabbing onto her teacher's arm to prevent from being flung dangerously forward. Once she got a good grip on her teacher, she was able to plant her feet and cover her eyes from oncoming dust and dirt. The gust was so sudden, it had taken all of them by surprise, and a few seconds had passed before the dust had settled and they were able to open their eyes. They all looked up and in the direction of Naruto, rather unsure of what had caused it.

But, upon first glimpse, they knew it had been him. He was completely surrounded, just absolutely engulfed in this sinister chakra. It didn't shoot out violently in any directions, nor did it really seem chaotic and erratic in flow in the least. The stream of chakra had remained controlled and harnessed, orbiting and circling Naruto's body, spiraling in various shades of red and orange. The energy moaned and whistled like a strong summer breeze. As they peered closer, they saw Naruto in the midst of it all, standing tall, and surprisingly cool and collected. His perplexion hadn't changed, and his eyes remained closed. Wherever this displaying was coming from, he was completely tuned into it. He didn't appear stressed, he didn't look pained. It wasn't until he had opened his eyes that Sakura began to tremble on her own two feet.

Naruto's eyes crept open and his blue eyes now seemed to illuminate through the red veil. They were no longer deep, no longer caring. They were piercing, cold blue eyes, and he didn't even need to look in the direction of Sakura to elicit a terrified response.

Tsunade felt her student tremble and shake against her arm, and when she looked into her pupil's eyes she saw the life had drained from her face. The girl was absolutely terrified. Never, not even in training, had she seen her so afraid. Sakura whimpered under her breath, trying to form logical sentences at her lips, but fear had overtaken her very being. Painful memories and visions were now being reminded of her, and this long-awaited mission now was all too far from mind.

"His eyes.." she felt her entire body shake as she saw Naruto in the distance, and then, in a flash in her mind, Kaelu. The comparison was of no doubt.

"They… they have the same eyes…"

Sakura battled long and hard within herself to piece together everything that had transpired over the past five days. Coming off of an exhausting mission, she had found herself in dire need of a vacation, wanting to get away from it all. By doing so, and using any means necessary to take any worries off of her mind, she was able to lapse herself of Uchiha Sasuke by eloping around the village with a complete stranger whom turns out to be a spy and key to a continental war decades in the making. Through these events and her raging teenage hormones, she ended up falling in love with a boy that nearly killed her and her team, and now was off kidnapping her best friend and sister after he had already disposed of her cousin. Uchiha Sasuke was no longer a reminder of better days, but now a plea for help; no longer a fantasy of love, but a savior of fear. And now with two people dead, her old sensei in ruins, her teammate an emotional wreck, and his new girlfriend the target of some farfetched prophecy, Haruno Sakura was at a complete loss of words and of action. This summer was hardly what she had expected it to be, and now..

NOW, she looked into the eyes of her closest companion, and saw the eyes of a killer..

..aimed at the boy of whom a vacation fling had quickly grown into a summer romance.

"He's going to do it," she tried to explain to herself, though she felt herself getting sick to her stomach again, trying to accept her own words. "He's going to.. To kill Kaelu." She closed her eyes and remembered the warmth of his touch, the first kiss, the walk home, all so many light years away now.

He was going to die, and she could not get herself to come to terms with that, and looking at Naruto's eyes, his intentions, only made her more sickened. She stumbled away from Tsunade and over to a nearby bush, and gave in to the sickness that dwelled within her. She choked and coughed heavily, desperately at times fighting back tears of pain and sorrow. Her coughs quickly grew into sobs as she choked back her tears in pain. Fallen on her knees, she leaned forward again and coughed up heavily, hacking and wheezing over the grass, her arms barely able to keep her from falling face first. Tsunade yelled out to her in concern, but she couldn't move. She wasn't moving on her own.

"Sakura!!" Tsunade ran over to her side and put her hand to the girl's back, patting it lightly. Once the girl's coughing settled, the great Hokage returned her glance over to the jinchuuriki and his powerful show.

Naruto lifted his head up and turned to face Lady Tsunade. His eyes were cold and serious, ready for battle. He did not say a word to his team. He had nothing to say to them. He had nothing to say to anyone.

And yet, the chakra engulfed him once again in a brightness that completely veiled him from their sight, and the chakra then shot out in all directions in a great burst of energy. Tsunade and Lee had to temporarily shield their eyes, as they were looking right at him when the flare occurred, but when the dust had settled, he was gone. Tsunade's eyes widened and she quickly scanned over the entire area.

"He's gone!" Lee exclaimed. "Hokage-sama, where did he go? I didn't even see him move!"

"Me… me either!" Tsunade was at a loss of words. She had no logical explanation. "He couldn't have moved that fast… there's.. there's just no way!"

"Na… Naruto.." Sakura coughed and managed to sit up. Her mentor kept her hand to the girl's back and supported her body. Sakura kept her one hand to her stomach, massaging the new tissue gently to make sure it wasn't damaged. "We.. We need to hurry," she said, coughing, clearing her throat. "We need to stop him!"

* * *

Kaelu stood along the shoreline, quietly looking out to the open ocean ahead. The escort back home would arrive for another day's time, and there really wasn't much to do out there other than peer out to the waters or up at the stars and the clouds. Now that the cloud covering was working it's way across the sky, the waves would have to do, though he quickly glanced up and acknowledged the incoming fury.

"Storm clouds," he said to himself. "Just what I needed."

He paced slowly back and forth, and every so often, he would occasionally glance in the distance towards the small tent by the water, a couple hundred feet away hidden along the shore behind a ridge in the landscape. This is where his brother sat, drawing by candlelight, keeping an eye on the deep sleeper, Hyuuga Hinata. He hadn't talked to Atsuke since setting up camp, and he wasn't really in the mood to, now, either.

"This isn't the mission I thought it would be.." he confessed quietly to himself. His only audience was in the nearby tent. All he had on his mind was Sakura. She was haunting him, and his heart slowly began to sink. He didn't want to fight, he didn't want to have to defend himself at the moment. He didn't feel he could at this point. All he felt was sick to his stomach.

But Minaya Kaelu knew that he would be coming. No, he _was_ coming, and furiously, and he was running out of time.

He turned back to the ocean, searching desperately for an answer, and as he peered out into the waters, he felt his view being slowly brightened from behind him by a strong, warm light. Kaelu's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped slightly. He took a deep breath and held it for a moment. He heard the whirring of chakra from behind him, the swirling of energy and sheer power flowing and pouring out into the air.

Kaelu dropped his head, closed his eyes, and sighed. He had accepted this occurance as what he had most feared. Never had he been afraid to fight before, to hurt, to kill. Never had he regretted a mission. Never had he hurt so much in his life, both physically and mentally, and now, never had he been so close to the edge of insanity. And he certainly didn't have to turn around to come face-to-face with the fury of revenge and love. Not at all. He could feel it in his own heart.

Minaya Kaelu lifted his head to the clouds, and he could see small flares of red chakra emitting from behind him from a distance. There was no more hiding now. This wasn't a fight with the boy behind him. This was a fight mostly within himself. With so much on the line, with so many people at stake, he could only look up to the clouds, as he had done his entire life. Until now, they were all who ever listened to him.

"So this is it, then." He ran his sleeve over his face, brushing away one last tear, one last drop of purity and hope from his body. Minaya Kaelu snapped his head back, and he saw a fiery display of power, hatred, and venegence. He saw disaster, tragedy, and a sick sense of catharsis: as if this whole thing would be coming to an end. At any cost.

Uzumaki Naruto lifted his head toward Kaelu slowly, and the Southern jounin shook his head furiously and shivered in the night briefly. He wasn't afraid of the boy. That wasn't it. But when he looked into Uzumaki Naruto's eyes, he saw the death, the pain, the killer look staring back at him…

And, in Naruto's eyes, hee saw himself, and he saw everything.. and it was then.. That he finally understood.

* * *


	16. All Hearts Torn

Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto and respective workers, writers, etc.

We're coming towards the end! Amazing isn't it?? Can't wait to head down the final stretch.

Thank you to all my readers for the positive reviews and making this story so enjoyable for me! Please continue to send your comments and whatever because I love to hear from whomever, whenever:) Again, thank you so much and I'll see you for chapter seventeen, which will be released, I'll say around Valentine's day.

Fittingly.

s.p.

* * *

Chapter Sixteen 

-**All Hearts Torn**

* * *

"I'll be okay, sensei," the young ninja spoke softly, assuring. "I can manage." Her teacher nodded and removed her right arm from around her student as she was aiding her from tree to tree as they took towards the shoreline at a pace much slower than they had hoped. Rock Lee kept a few paces ahead of the Hokage and her pupil, occasionally looking back to make sure Sakura was well. He had never seen her that feverish, that sick before. Neither had Tsunade.

'This poor girl's gone through so much,' her long-time mentor thought to herself, keeping with Sakura's pace nearby. 'It's amazing she's still going onward, now.' Tsunade shook her head slowly to herself and moved her focus to her forward path, and what would be waiting in the distance.

"He's there already," she said quietly, though both Sakura and Lee heard her. "If he really was able to move _that_ fast, then there's no question that he would go directly to the shore and where he felt Hinata would be." Lee nodded in agreement. Sakura didn't respond, but her expression said it all. She knew the truth. She knew Naruto would be there, with Hinata, and with Kaelu.

She couldn't get herself to speak, nor look up at either of her teammates. She couldn't even lift her eyes to look up at the sky or even completely straight ahead of her. She kept her right arm partially extended to keep balance as she leaped form tree to tree, the other arm was tucked along her stomach, caressing the side gently, easing the pain. She continued to tell herself in her mind, over and over, that everything would be okay. That she would be okay, but this was far easier said than done.

She listened in carefully to Tsunade's plan for this mission to Lee as she tried to keep up with her peers, though at the same time, they were trying not to get too ahead of Sakura, herself.

"We have to trust that Naruto will be keeping Kaelu occupied," Tsunade explained. "Our objective is simply to rescue Hinata and avoid confrontation if possible. If the South is looking to engage in war through the Angel, any casualties would be instantly considered for retaliation. We cannot allow them to gain power of this prophecy, especially considering the circumstances." Lee's eyes were locked on Tsunade.

"If this really is true," she continued. "Then, Hinata's power potentially rival's that of not only the Hokages of the past, but even some of the greatest ninja of our time, even those of the Uchiha and Hyuuga clan." Lee's mouth gaped in awe.

"Is this.. Is this a Hyuuga prophecy?"

"No," she answered. "This was a prophecy handed through the South by the spirit of one of their greatest warriors of all time. The prophecy spoke of an Angel that would be sent to us as a living force, much like the great tailed beasts that inhibit our land and our people." Lee was completely at tentative as Lady Tsunade told the story. "Not much is known of this Risen Spirit. Some people say that it's the birth of a powerful goddess that was long believed to only be a myth. Some even speculate that it's the Angel of Taregosu Maya, a revolutionary for the Souther Continent"

"Who was that?"

"Maya was an amazing woman, one of the woman pioneer's in our known history, not just for the South but worldwide. She was a peacemaker, and through her words and travels, she helped many nation reach unity and peace, and for a while, she was one of the most well known-figures, if not _the_ most influential figure of her time. She was skilled in the art of ninjutsu, but she specialized in summon technique. She had contracts with countless numbers of beasts and it was said she had the ability to communicate with what many simply called the 'unknown.' But that was over a hundred years ago."

"What happened?" Sakura mumbled, asking, interested in this figure whom she had never been taught of before. A woman _this_ amazing must be worth hearing about!

Tsunade shook her head in reply. "The war revolution in the South began. People began turning away from their martial arts and shin obi practices and converted to military power. Kyoko Taotsu, the leader of this new fascist movement, believed the world should unite as one power, and he was willing to persuade other, weaker nations through harsh persuasion or by brute force. Within a couple of years, more than half of the continent was on his side, and many of the ninja arts in the southern nations were lost. Taregosu Maya, condemned and sentenced to death, fled across many nations and eventually met up with Hidetsukaa Toma, a skilled ninja and political radical, completely opposed to the dictatorship."

Sakura caught up with her sensei, eyes glued to her. Never had history intrigued her so much. "And what did Toma do?"

"By this point, the war had already been declared and had began on the northern coasts," Tsunade added. "Taotsu was relentless, send thousands upon thousands to their deaths as he decimated city after city, bringing some smaller nations to ruins. During this time, it was said that his forces back home had seized Maya, and murdered her for treason and for rebellion against his 'new empire.'" Sakura frowned and Lee's eyes dropped to the ground for a moment.

"It's said," Tsunade continued quietly, "that Toma died the next day of natural causes."

"There's no way!" her pink-haired apprentice shouted. "He had to have been murdered!"

"There's too much coincidence!" Lee added. "This great woman hunted down and murdered, and her partner dies soon after! It's just too suspicious!"

Tsunade nodded, "whatever the case may have been, the damage to the country had already been done. The North began to win every battle, and in time, the South retreated back for a regrouping period. It was during this time that our nations ran a counter-attack along the shores and into the major military bases and cities of the South. Their economy was left in ruins and their military foundation was annihilated. People didn't see the err in Taotsu's ways until it was too late."

"So, was Taotsu killed in battle?"

"No," Tsunade answered. "He killed himself shortly after his main base was destroyed. Since then many of the ports have been rebuilt and many of the ninja arts have been revived. About forty years ago, the capital city of Kyoko was formed in his name, and the military power of the Southern continent was reborn, though not for conquering, rather, for self defense."

"So," Lee caught on. "These new political leaders seek the Angel's power to strengthen the military and convince the people to take revenge?"

"Basically," Tsunade confirmed, "Though, over fifteen years ago, when the prophecy of the Angel was first made," she paused a moment to duck under an incoming tree branch. After leaping back up into the branches, fixing her hair, she pressed on. "When the prophecy was made, it was said that the ghost of Toma delivered the message. Many northern scholars believe that it could be assumed to be the ghost of Maya sent to actually _prevent_ the war and keep harmony with the people and the beasts of our planet."

"I get it," Sakura's eyes brightened. "If they harness her chakra, they can basically control her, and with a ninja as strong as Kaelu, they felt they might have a chance. But, why would the Angel be blessed within Hinata?"

"Simple," Tsunade exclaimed. "To protect us from the greatest beast of all."

".. the Kyuubi."

"Right. Once the fox demon was sealed within Naruto, the Angel was presumably sealed into Hinata in order to protect the village and, through love, prevent Naruto from ever tapping into it's power. But now," Tsunade quickly frowned. "Now, Hinata's out of commission, and Naruto has already began to take control of the beast within. This will force the Angel to come to life, and give Kaelu and his superiors a chance to capture its power."

"There's no way they could control a being like that!" Sakura argued, her voice shaky and raspy from earlier, still.

"Revenge and power make people do crazy things," Tsunade reminded her pupil. "This may end disastrous for the southern government, and if they have political leaders who think and act as General Takeno, they wouldn't hesitate to call it an act of war and seek retaliation."

Tsunade now began to measure the entire situation in her head, and the end result was what she most feared for herself, her students, her village. "I will not let our generation fall into war. We are a striving nation and I will do all I can to prevent this from happening."

Sakura and Lee nodded, they faces serious, their eyes calm, yet determined. As they neared the coast, the reality of the situation became all too real. This was far greater than a simple summer fling or romance. This was greater than finding one's self or ideals pitting two angry young men against each other. This was death, this was destruction, and this was war.

* * *

Their eyes met early this morning as the wind swirled back and forth along the shore, the waves crashing behind them, the rumble of the tide continuous in its droning, growing louder as the waves approached, and then dissipated after the crash. The grey clouds in the sky began to congregate and brush along each other very slowly, very cautiously, hundreds of feet above. Below them, on the sand, two young men stood, face to face at a crossroads in sand. They were in a moment measured not in feet and inches but life and death. They stood, eyes glaring into each other, with purposes far different, with ideals completely unfamiliar, with vengeance all too real. Naruto was here to take back Hinata, his fallen comrade, his love away from this terrible force. Kaelu wanted nothing more than to make things right, to "fix" things to as what he felt they should be. He was doing this for his brother, himself, his family. This mission had already been damned by him already, Naruto wasn't his _true_ target. 

But he might have to be.

"I don't wish to fight you," the southern prodigy spoke. These words traveled slowly and didn't even seem to phase or even reach Naruto. His eyes, his face was cold. The chakra around him seemed to burn around him, circling around him at amazing speeds. It was something Kaelu had truly never seen before. This boy wasn't here to negotiate, or even listen. It was clear that Naruto's objective was clear. Rescue and revenge.

"Naruto, please," he pleaded under his voice. "I'm not trying to take Hinata, you don't understand." Naruto's glare deepened and his breathing picked up. "What I'm trying to do is-"

"_Shut the hell up!!_" The response came in a rash, scratchy scream that carried far out beyond the sands toward the open ocean. The chakra began to bubble and burst out from his body in small sparks and flares. Kaelu wasn't getting anywhere with his pleas, and Naruto was not here to kid around with the situation. "Where is she?!"

A moment past. Kaelu turned his head from naruto and faced the sands below him. The only noise filling the air were the rumbling of the waves and the chakra flow from the boy with the monstrous power. He didn't want to answer. He didn't want his real objective to be ruined, but apparently Naruto didn't know, that or he didn't listen. 'Sakura,' he thought. 'I thought you would've told him.' He grimaced, thinking back to moment when he attacked Hinata and revealed himself to his romancer. He reminded himself of her horrified look, and he cursed under his breath. His shoulder twitched, this time, the pain reminded him of a sharp burn instead the typical stinging sensation he had dealt with the past few days. He tried to ignore the pain, for there were far more important issues to deal with, and he was having problems looking at them, let alone resolving them.

"_Where the k IS she?!" _His rage was blinding. Kaelu scowled to himself, grimacing deeply, his eyes closed tightly, his fists clenched at his side. In his mind he saw nothing but the red chakra of this young ninja seeming to surround him, engulf him in power. 'What.. What is this?" he thought himself. 'What is this power?'

Then, in the black and red swirls of his mind, a bright spark in the heart of his vision, and it began to come towards him at light speed. Soon, all he saw in his mind this strong, white beam of light and soon he was consumed in the purest of light, and everything seemed to go quiet. In that instant, the silhouette of this amazing creature, this_amazing_ being formed in front of him, with radiant glow and wings of an angel. It's whisper awoke him once again to the reality he was evading.

"_It's time.."_

He opened his eyes to see the bright beam of light coming in his direction, but this beam was of pure chakra, and it was a power being emitted from the shin obi across from him. He only briefly saw the glow of Naruto's blue eyes and his outstretched hand channeling this unbelievable power and directing it towards the great Southern warrior. Kaelu knew he really had no time to react; he knew in the moment he had opened his eyes, he would be impacted almost instantly. In the little time he had, Kaelu had lifted his arms to cover his face and brace himself for the hit. This wasn't of much help as he felt himself slammed with an amount of force he had never before experienced, and he was tossed back, like a rag doll, a good distance backward. His body bent and contorted as he bounced along the surface of the water for a few yards as he eventually plummeted and sank under the surface in a brilliant splash.

Naruto kept his eyes on his opponent, unmoving, unraveled. His arm remained outward, firm and ready. The chakra still enveloped him like a shell. His expression not once changed, his body not once moved. The ripples in the water from the crash finally reached the shore and disappeared into the sands, not far from where Kaelu had just stood. Naruto's eyes drifted to those sands where the last of those ripples touched shore before being overtaken by the incoming wave. Suddenly, his eyes shot back up towards the open seas, to about where Kaelu had gone under. His glare deepened, his cold stare piercing through the powerful veil of energy.

That moment, another splash, and water rose from the surface, shooting upwards in a fantastic spout, fountaining in every which direction. Minaya Kaelu leaped from the depth of the water and landed on one knee on the surface, his right knee and left toes sending more ripples through the water upon his landing. The waves warped and split around him as they reached the shore. Kaelu, soaked with water, coughed quietly and shook his head, splashing all over the place. He took a moment to catch his breath and to take in what had just occurred.

Naruto, for the first time all day, and in the most snarky and confident expression he could, smirked. When Kaelu slowly looked up at Naruto again, he saw the grin. He held his breath and stared into what he considered a wicked smile. He exhaled slowly and grit his teeth. That blast was pure chakra, and it had done considerable damage. Though he had only been impact for a second or two, he felt the sting, and he certainly felt the burning. He clenched his hands repeatedly, trying to get used to the pain. His knuckles were cut open, the sleeves on his shirt were scorched and his forearms were red and burning. His shoulder wound felt like it was on fire. It was almost unbearable! Kaelu's breathing continued to pick up considerably, and he felt himself to be getting angrier by the second. He was fortunate to have had the water available to him, otherwise the burns could have been_really_ serious.

"Son of a," Kaelu began, rolling his shoulders, wincing to himself. He returned his glance towards Naruto every few seconds, and grew more and more furious at what had just happened. He tried his hardest to keep his cool, to keep his mind on what was most important right now, which was the mission and his new objective for Hyuuga Hinata. But Minaya Kaelu wasn't used to pain. At least, not _physical_ pain. Uzumaki Naruto had caused him pain, and that was certainly not something he could allow over that simply. He had too much pride for that.

"Tell me where she is, _now. _Or I will beat it out of you."

Kaelu glared in return and stepped forward slowly back towards the shore. His steps were hesitated and labored as he cautiously approached the passionate young fighter in front of him. He lowered his arms, keeping one out in front of him while the other stayed behind his back. His fingertips on his hidden hand began to glow and shine with electricity. 'I need to stop him as effectively as I can,' he thought to himself. 'The last thing I need is…' and before he could finish, he gasped. Another wave of energy was heading towards him from Naruto's open palm. Having a little more time to react, Kaelu swung his open hand around and, in an instant, fired an electric current pointed from the 5 tips of his fingers, headed straight for the chakra release in hopes to counter it.

The explosion was brutal, shaking the land for miles, and upon impact, the lightning broke into different branches as it tried to slow down the massive energy strike, but the chakra of Uzumaki Naruto proved too much, and without much trouble, the beam disintegrated the lightning strike and bore down upon the southern ninja.

"Shhhhiiii-" Kaelu's cursing was drowned out by the blast. He braced himself with both arms, covering his chest and face and he was struck hard once again, this time the energy exploding upon contact on the sand, kicking up dirt, mud, and water every which direction. Kaelu was catapulted from the scene hundreds of feet back into the open ocean. He fell into the water, limp, appearing lifeless before he even before the surface.

Naruto stood tall and stared out once more. Debris scattered about him furiously. Some small sand clouds hovered about and virtually dissipated in the breezy, crisp shore air. The water and splattered mud, along with the waves and the tide coming in, washed away Kaelu's recent footprints as everything soon blended into the moist sand. Naruto's footsteps, once preserved and neatly behind him, were now memories; reminders of the calm before the storm.

"Hinata," he whispered, as if someone, anyone could hear him.

* * *

The young accomplice was awoken by the quiet rumbles off in the distance. It shook the whole tent and had easily startled the young Gasuki from his nap. He sat up straight and rubbed his eyes in slight confusing, trying to look about as he did so. He noticed other mat and blanket occupied by the girl they had taken. He stretched his arms out well over his head, yawning loudly. After pausing a minute, he crawled to his knees and stumbled to the tent entrance. He put his arm through and pulled away the flap, and was greeted by a darkening, grey sky, and raging tide. He followed the water down as far as he could. 

"What was that shaking?" he asked himself. Eyeing back and forth until he found something that caught his attention; something red, something glowing, something fiery. From a couple of hundred yards away, it was very difficult to make out who or what it was, even with a trained eye. Atsuke crawled out from the tent and, leaving Hinata behind, sifted through the sands barefoot cautiously towards what was going on. He felt the wind picking up with each stride, the fury of the incoming storm growing with every step, every inch forward.

As he closed the difference between himself and the action, he noticed another figure, another person on the surface of the water a good distance out. This person he _could_ make out. It was Kaelu! A smile shot across Atsuke's face, and he was about ready to call out his name. He began to sprint towards the two figures, but more in the direction of the water and Minaya Kaelu. It wasn't until he had gotten within fifty yards or so that he noticed something was terribly wrong.

Kaelu was in pain. A lot of pain, to be honest. He was doubled over, wincing and cringing, on one week, rubbing both of his forearms slowly, hands and body shaking as he did this. Blood trickled from his arms and dripping from his elbows into the mass of salt water below. Up and down both of his forearms were cuts and scrapes. His sleeves were now completely burned off his skin was steaming and red. Blood dripped from his left shoulder, and down his arm adding to the mess. The wound had been aggravated again and now felt like pain he had never experienced before. He couldn't even focus on anything else! Atsuke paused and stood momentarily in horror. His brother was.. Was..

And then he looked over at this attacker, and there stood a confident and determined young man, poised and ready to continue the fight that he started. The fire of the chakra around him burned and caused chaos in the area around him. Atsuke would see the flares of chakra spout from him followed by a strong gust coming from him. This was unnatural, and this was aimed at his big brother!

"This must be.."

He remembered seeing the girl's body illuminate for the first time with his brother, remembering the prophecy handed to them and the name that Kaelu had uttered.

"..Uzumaki Naruto."

..and Atsuke, a very bright young boy, had figured it all out. He gasped and cut his breath real short. He had to help. He didn't know how, but he felt he needed to be by his brother's side. He took one step and he shot towards the scene once again, this time shouting out his dear brother's name. The tears began to form in his eyes seeing how badly injured Kaelu was. He continued to stumble, hands flailing in the air reaching out towards him.

Naruto's glance shot over to the young boy and he scowled a bit to himself, baring his fangs slightly. He lifted his right arm over his head and then back down into the direction of the incomer. Kaelu heard Atsuke but couldn't emit a response, but when he saw Naruto's course of action, his heart stopped for a moment. '_Atsuke can't stop something like that!'_ he yelled out in his mind. Atsuke kept running paying no attention to Naruto at all..

..until that bright flash of light.

The beam bore down on Atsuke, and the young boy stopped in his tracks and just gazed into the brilliance that was streaking in his direction. His eyes widened, his arms trembled, and he quickly gasped for air. Overtaken by this energy, he was simply too scared to move, and as this power seemed to overtake him, he felt as though everything around him had gone silent, and for an instant, time had frozen.

He saw the energy up close and it came towards him at what appeared to be in extremely slow motion. He heard nothing around him, not even a breath, not even a word or a wave. Young Atsuke only had the light in front of him, ready to consume him, ready to end him.

"Brother.." a quick glance to his right, Kaelu's eyes fixed on him, his arm outstretched desperately to try and do something, anything to help. Atsuke looked back directly into the light, and he felt the chakra, the heat begin to overtake him and it drew closer and closer.

"This is it."

The explosion lit up the beach and surrounding areas, and deafened the land for miles. The clouds overhead parted and shifted to the left and right as the light reached up to the sky and beyond. The young ninja were now surrounded in a slow, winding sandstorm that seemed to flutter with the clouds, the sun bearing down on the aftermath of the blast. The scene seemed all to magical, so unreal, and had it not been for the destruction at sea level, the scenery would have been one painted from the heavens. Within this setting, Uzumaki Naruto continued to stand tall, his right arm now at his side, head turned to his right, staring into the cloud of dust and sand as it settled back to earth. As the sand subsided, it gave way to a soft blue light, glowing it's way through the dirt and the dust.

As the dust settled, it became clear that Naruto had been staring at the two figures in the sand veil. The smaller of the two had fallen forward on his hands and knees, staring up towards the taller figure in front of him. The more prominent, surrounded in a blue aura of chakra, was Minaya Kaelu, barely standing. He looked disheveled, his hair in knots across his face, his clothes ripped and torn, his hands outstretched, bruised and bleeding, his once frigid eyes were now soft and tired. He coughed to himself, his breaths staggered and short, and his knees shook and buckled occasionally from his own weight. How he was able to keep on his two feet was beyond anybody.

Atsuke stared at his brother in awe. Kaelu had just saved him from certain death, risking himself, his own well-being for him. As he looked at his brother's condition, the words of the past week echoed in his mind..

_"Kaelu is fearless and, most important of all, merciless."_

_"I lost my father when I was very young. I never knew family."_

_"Little Atsuke looks up to you."_

"Big brother," was all he could whisper. Atsu couldn't even remember the explosion, let along seeing Kaelu jump in front of the blast. It all happened so quick, so abruptly, that young Atsuke only remembered Naruto's cold, unforgiving eyes followed by an immense, white light.

Kaelu's mind was filled. He heard Atsuke's whisper through his own heavy breathing. His body was sore all over and the wound on his shoulder now sent a burning sensation down his whole arm, but he was growing more and more numb to the physical pain he had been feeling. His mind centered on Naruto and on Atsuke. He recalled Uzumaki's glare shifting to his little brother and without any hesitation, the Konoha ninja's attack. He remembered the beam headed towards the boy and he used every inch, every bit of his courage to get himself to move from his spot. He had been able to replicate himself in front of his brother just in time using his raiton technique, and as the attack beared down on the two of them, he unleashed a Lightning Emission counter large enough to withstand the blast.

Now, however, he was paying for it. The emission took most of his natural chakra, and he was almost at the point where he would have to refuel and convert external electricity, and his health was _already_ at stake. Too much chakra intake could deal potentially dangerous effects to his internal systems, and with his external body already in terrible shape. Kaelu wasn't sure just how much more abuse his body could take.

"Atsuke," he whispered through his breaths. "Get out of here, go back to the base. Stay somewhere safe."

"But.. Kaelu-san, I."

"Listen to me," Kaelu interrupted. "This is too dangerous, little brother. You're not safe here and you're not able to keep up with us. Keep an eye on the girl. You'll be safe in the tent, got it?"

Atsuke nodded slowly and muttered a soft and shy "yes." He picked himself up onto his two feet and fumbled with his balance momentarily. He blinked a few times to settle himself, holding his hands out to keep steady, then when he was ready, he turned around and made a dash back for where the tent was secluded. Naruto saw this and lifted his arm above his body. A giant claw extended from the chakra, red and fiery, stretched a few feet over his hand. The sinister claw, the Kyuubi's claw opened and shut, stretching and flexing itself like it had a mind of it's own, and Naruto lowered his arm in a throwing motion until it was outstretched in front of him, and the arm of the fox demon followed. It stretched itself out far, it's claws sharp and dangerous, headed for the runaway boy.

"Get back here!!"

This was quickly followed by a bolt of lightning, and the claw was severed from the rest of the chakra. It dissolved and broke into hundreds of smaller flares and pieces that scattered to the ground in a small firestorm. Atsuke never looked back as he kept running towards the rocks in the distance. Naruto's glare was now focused on Kaelu once more, whose left arm, index finger pointed, was held out to his left, where he had fired the electricity and cut the chakra off from its source. Kaelu's eyes met Naruto coldly as he slowly lowered his hand to his side, clenching his burning fingers in his fist tightly.

"Atsuke has nothing to do with this," Kaelu spoke forcibly. "Leave him out of this."

"Just like you left us and Neji out of your business, right?" He scowled in reply. "You didn't allow Neji to back away from the fight, _did_ you?! You were there to kill him the whole time! Why should I allow you _any_ f---ing grace, eh?!"

"I'm not here to fight you, Naruto!" Kaelu pleaded, but the Konoha ninja didn't budge.

"I'll kill you both if I have to!!" The chakra seemed to rage around him now. "How can you expect any mercy, you monster! You.. You freak!"

Kaelu's eyes pierced deep into Naruto now, his body tensed, his mind trembling and wandering into a very dangerous area. Naruto continued to swear and threaten in Kaelu's direction, and it didn't take long for everything to pile up and come crashing down.

"How could you treat Sakura-chan like that? Don't you see how she feels about you? What you did to her is disgraceful! It's unforgivable!" Kaelu now avoided Naruto's eyes and words like the plague. "She loves you, you bastard, and look what you've done to her! You're ruining her, you're hurting her deeper than any wound could ever deal! You're a poor, sick twisted soul, a lonely, dark, pathetic person, and you deserve to die that way."

Kaelu clenched his fists tightly, the electricity building up in all ten of his fingertips.

"Just like you struck down Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei when I was helpless. I will make you watch your brother die before your very eyes!"

"NOOO!!" Kaelu pumped both his fists, now full of static, and strained his entire body with muscle and chakra. At that moment, a bolt of lightning fell from the heavens and struck Kaelu fiercely. Completely taken by the lightning, his body began to steam and smoke and burn as he quickly refuel himself with power. He lurched forward, his right hand pressed against his deep wound. His breathing once again erratic, but now, he carried with him a laugh; a quiet, sick, and terrifying laugh. His ice cold stare now directed yet again at his opponent, and he held his arms out, hands open, as static and sparks emitted from his body. He was completely charged with electricity, so much that sparks were literally spilling from his chakra points.

'How,' Naruto asked himself. 'How is he still standing? All the damage he's taken, he should be on the ground right now. It's incredible.'

"You," Kaelu said sternly, pointing at his opponent. "Your enemy is _me_." The chakra flow he had spent years upon years perfecting now circled his body in a bright blue aura, electric currents and sparks abundant in this radiant glow.

Naruto smirked again and took his first steps since the beginning of the fight, and he walked slowly in the direction of Kaelu. Kaelu, in extreme pain still, managed to keep on his two feet and stand up tall to face his opponent. Wincing, he took a couple of steps in his direction, his eyes still locked on Naruto's.

The clouds finally closed up once again, and, with the disappearance of the sunlight brought the rains down heavily from the heavens. The precipitation poured down now onto the two fighters and Atsuke off in the distance as he now stumbled to get out of the rain as fast as he could.

Kaelu looked up to the clouds and held his arm up, letting the droplets pitter patter into the palm of his hand. "Rain," he said confidently. "It's raining, Naruto. The storm is here! It has finally begun. Does you know what that means, Naruto?" Uzumaki listened carefully. Kaelu's voice was growing more exasperated, stronger. It was almost as if he had lost touch with reality.

"Storm brings thunder and lightning, Naruto, _lightning!_" He laughed as he now held up both hands to the clouds. Sparks, now more profound, shot from his fingertips. "Do you know what this means, you poor boy?! Haha!" He began to laugh uncontrollably.

"Kaelu!" Naruto screamed. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Don't you see Naruto? The storm is my power! It is my _ultimate_ weapon! With this, my source of chakra, my source of energy is_infinite."_ Naruto grew worried. It was clear that Kaelu was losing it, that he was not concerned about his own health in the least. 'How does he not worry that he's going to be just as hurt in the rain?' Naruto wondered. 'He's crazy!'

"It's time, Naruto!" Kaelu strongly concluded as he pointed his fingertips up to the skies, and the clouds above him began to rumble and swirl and clash against each other. The bolt of lightning to follow struck Minaya with the most devastating of force and most booming of sounds. Naruto had to brace himself and balance himself from the impact and, beneath the light and burning intensity of the lightning, Kaelu smirked, his eyes revisiting the frigid and murderous intentions of times past.

"Can you.. Feel it?"

Kaelu put his arms out in front of him and, putting the heels of his palms together, unleashed an powerful lightning strike from his ten fingertips, connecting and branching off of each other, shooting in Uzumaki Naruto's direction. Naruto quickly took a step to his right, kneeled low and, planting his hand firmly in the moist sand, was able to propel himself high into the air, somersaulting forward. Kaelu followed Naruto with his arms, trying to guide the lightning the best he could, but Naruto's speed was too much for the overpowered attack, and Kaelu released the lightning bolt until it buried itself into the sand and, with a loud crack and rumble, became a thing of the past. Kaelu pointed his right index finger and proceeded to shoot smalled, faster shots of electricity in the Konoha hero's direction. Each strike hit within the instant it was fired and, somehow, Naruto was able to react to these strikes and dodge most of them effectively. Though a couple of them had made contact, none of the hits were serious enough to deal considerable damage. After eight fires, Kaelu stopped and excruciatingly ran long strides to the left, trying to take advantage of Naruto's sidestepping and get to him from behind.

Naruto followed his movements carefully and felt that now would be the best time to counterattack: when he was on the move. The red chakra began to swell once more and, harnessing the Great Demon's power, he shot the sinister chakra from his body towards Kaelu almost like fiery, destructive whips. Kaelu jumped to his left side to avoid the first whip, then somersaulted to dodge a second one. Upon recovering he lifted his right hand and fired a lightning strike at the third, still running in a circle. Naruto didn't turn around, he just turned and angled his body with the attack. Kaelu was able to shoot down a second tail of energy when two more approached. Kaelu turned to duck and roll to his left and as he did, some sand kicked up into his shoulder and onto his left forearm. The sting made him pause as he cringed, cursing under his breath. He looked up quickly to see that two more whips were coming fast. He was able to pivot and jump back and away from one but as he did this, the second came along and struck his pivoting hand. Minaya Kaelu yelped out in pain as his injured hand buckled under his own weight and he hit the ground.

Naruto took this opportunity and powered up his chakra once more kicking up flames and dust around him, hiding him from the world momentarily until he dashed forward at blinding speed. His arm by his side, held like a claw, he moved in for a devastating blow, and Kaelu's body suddenly burst into static electricity and shot in all directions.

"Damnit, a replication." Naruto looked left and right quickly as he held his hands up and made his infamous hand sign. "Shadow Cone Jutsu!" and instantly, another Uzumaki appeared on the scene, this one just as powered up as the original. The clone held out his two hands and began to rotate them in a small circle as the original held his right hand out, palm up, to him. The chakra, forming a bright blue sphere, began to form a familiar force to reckon with, and within seconds, a bright blue ball of energy rotated in Naruto's hand, ready for action.

He took another look around as the clone stayed nearby as back-up. "Come on out, you coward," they both yelled in unison. As they said that, a flash followed by a bolt of lightning coming from the sky and taking out Naruto's well-designed clone. Kaelu, in a spark of energy, appeared behind Naruto and before Uzumaki could react quickly to the raiton master, he was zapped by the southerner's open right palm, thousands of bolts burning a hole right through him. As Naruto gasped in shock, a small smile crept over Kaelu's face, until Naruto's body disappeared into a poof of smoke.

"Another one?!" Kaelu's eyes widened. He dropped his hand, hot and steaming, to his side, palm up, letting the cool rains soothe it. Naruto then leaped from the sand right beneath Kaelu and, grabbing his leg on the way up, was able to lift Kaelu from his stance and high over his own head.

"Got'cha!" Naruto yelled confidently and as he landed, he spun quickly and launched Kaelu towards the ocean. Kaelu, from Naruto's momentum and the Kyuubi's strength, flew far and fast. He had to think of something before he hit the ocean. THAT much conduct could set off all of the unconverted chakra in his body in a chain reaction. He reached out desperately and aimed at the ground with his hand. He fired, hitting the moist sand, and from that blast, he teleported himself through his lightning replication. He did this a couple of times until the momentum was stopped and by the fourth movement, he was able to land on his own two feet.

Naruto wasn't here to mock Kaelu, or even exchange pleasantries. He moved right in again, this time, dashing as fast as he could, and with the fox's power, he had moved so fast, it was almost like watching a blur, except now he was in the face of Minaya Kaelu. Before the southern-nin could react, Naruto had forcibly grabbed both of his wrists, his chakra burning the boy's skin, his animal-like claws digging into him. Kaelu let out an exasperated scream.

* * *

Hinata's eyes twitched in her sleep as she became aware of sounds and familiar things around her. She heard the soothing waves crashing onto the shore, then the soft tap of raindrops flooding her surroundings, but a crack of lightning would ruin this tranquility, and soon after, her eyes shot open, then blinking a couple of rains, she calmed herself down with the sounds of the rain again. She rubbed her eyes, not fully aware of where she was to begin with 

"Good morning," a voice said quietly, and her eyes shot open again. This voice wasn't familiar. So then, why did she hear it. She quickly shot straight up, realizing that she wasn't home and, gazing to her left, she saw a young boy sitting quietly next to her over a sketchpad, keeping himself occupied as she had slept.

"Who are you?" she asked, her tone of voice growing a little louder and a little more worried. "And where are we?"

"I'm Gasuki Atsuke," he responded, looking into her beautiful lavender eyes. "You might have known my grandfather."

"Yes, I.. I have, actually," she answered, trying not to stray too far from topic, until a word that he had spoken caught her attention. "Wait, have known?"

Astuke's expression never changed, he kept his hands folded on his book, his warm eyes on her. "Grandpa passed away this morning." He paused a moment to take this in once more and compose himself. "All of his illnesses and ailments had caught up with him."

"Oh, you dear, I'm so sorry," she said sympathetically, trying not to get too far from the topic at hand. "But, Atsuke, why are we here? Where are we?" She kept herself surprisingly calm, not knowing the boy, she didn't want to cause any havoc where it wasn't needed.

"Due to the lockdown of Konoha, the visitors of Konoha were forced to leave until the murder cases were unraveled, but you're here because we need you in order to complete the mission that we came here for."

Her eyes grew wide. "What mission? Who's 'we'? "She slowly began to piece everything together as it was explained.

"My brother, Minaya Kaelu."

Hinata cut her breath off and she fell into a small state of shock. That name, that terrible name, the one that had caused so much pain and destruction to Konoha, and here she was in their custody, out in the middle of nowhere for reasons she did not quite grasp.

"Kae.. He.. What…Why me? Why is he after me?"

"We have reason to believe you possess something within you that our government has sent us to find and bring back," he responded.

She couldn't believe it! Some.. Some power was within her?? This was all too unreal, how did they know and, better, how did she _not_ know? There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but Atsuke kept going in his explanation.

"We're not going to take you, though." Atsuke was honest with her, he felt he should be. "Kaelu and I are not going through with this mission because we have learned of our government's true intent, and it isn't to our liking. Our intent was to show you to our escorts when they arrived ashore, then ambush them and return you home, safe to Konoha."

Hinata grew more serious. "Why should I believe anything you say?"

"You don't have to," Atsuke said simply. "But we had told your friends not to do anything too rash about the situation and that everything would be returned to normal. My brother made that promise to Sakura."

"Sakura!" She gasped. "What was she doing with him?"

"During his time in Konoha, my brother used a disguise to pass himself off as Gasuki Oroyo." Hinata gasped. It was all too clear, and certainly all too real.

"He.. " she stopped and thought the rest to herself. _He got close with Naruto and Sakura to get to me.. And none of us had any idea. I just.. I just can't believe it!"_

"Yeah," he continued. "But I feel that your comrades in Konoha didn't listen. One of the shin obi has come for you, Hinata, to retrieve you." She didn't ask who, as she waited for the young boy to tell her, himself, to tell her the name she was most worried about. The name she would fight for, knowing he would be fighting for her right now.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

She closed her eyes, she knew it. She shot up from her bed and stumbled her way over to the tent entrance, weakly. Her body felt heavy and numb. Atsuke got up from his seat as well.

"Don't go out there, it's too dangerous."

"Out of my way, please." She lightly pushed himself aside and, braving the heavy rain, she stepped out onto the sands and walked towards the rocks that were protecting them from the fight. Her pace was quick and she stumbled through the wet, mushy sand.

"Hinata, wait!" She stopped real quick and turned around as the young boy, following her. "I.." he paused, trying to decide if he should say this, but, shyly, slowly, out it came. "I'm.. I'm sorry for what Kaelu has done.. For everything he had done, for all that he had brought with him." She didn't respond. She wasn't mad, she wasn't upset, she wasn't anything but worried. Her man, her boyfriend was out there, fighting one of the most dangerous ninja in history, by himself, and she wanted to be there. She wanted to be of any help she could, and she just wanted to be by his side, no matter what was going on. She continued forward, now at a running pace. Atsuke gasped to himself and did his best to keep up with her.

Hinata's body felt different, but she couldn't explain it. She remembered getting shocked by Minaya Kaelu, so she wasn't sure it that was it. 'No,' she thought. 'That's not it.' She felt this rush of energy, and she felt stronger, faster, more balanced. She felt this presence within her that she simply could not explain, this force helping to drive her forward, and she rode this adrenaline rush to her advantage as she now rushed towards the fight, still out of view, at full speed.

Atsuke was losing ground behind her, trying to keep up when, out of the corner of his eye, he peered out into the ocean and, through the winds and the rain, made out a medium-sized boat making it's way to the shore. He stopped following Hinata and gazed out to the vessel as it fought with the waves as made its way to the sands. He knew instantly who it was and what it meant.

"..shit."

* * *

Naruto and Kaelu were basically locked in a game of "chicken." The rain continued to fall upon them as they stood close, gripping each other at the wrists, powering up their respective chakra levels as high as they could, gripping tighter into each other. Kaelu's electricity was flowing through Naruto as he energy slowly began to electrocute him more and more. At the same time, Naruto was unleashing his fiery power, gripping and seeping in Kaelu's wrists firmly, the energy passing through the cuts that Naruto's claws had made and shooting through his opponent's body. Kaelu felt himself burning from the inside out, and though Naruto might have been taking more damage considering the environment and the intensity of the attack, Kaelu was in far more pain. The burning, added with the burns and scars from earlier, just became too unbearable too quickly, and Kaelu screamed, letting go of naruto's wrists, trying to free himself from the boy's grip, though he couldn't not. After a few seconds, he managed to point his finger to the sand a few feet away and he shocked the ground, using the conduct as a replication point. He followed this by doing it once more to assure good distance between the two and, from there he just jumped back a couple of times to add to it without needing to use his raiton powers. 

But that was the problem. He had used far too much of it already, and despite the weather conditions, Naruto had the upper hand. Kaelu's hands and arms were a wreck, bloodied and burnt horribly. Even the cool rain, seeping in and cleansing the wounds, wasn't enough for the amount of damage he had taken in this fight. For the first time in his life, Minaya Kaelu was completely unprepared, and completely overwhelmed. The scar eating away at his shoulder was a reminder to him of the pain he caused on this mission, a sign of things to come, a truth revealing that he, in fact, was human and that he, in fact, was not invincible.

Minaya Kaelu continued to grimace with his misfortunes and began to think of a way to desperately end this fight. He no longer worried about harming Naruto, nor himself for that matter. This was greater than this mission or anything else he had discovered and learned while on it. This was about life and death, and this was about survival. Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto, Neji, Hinata, Atsuke, Aidon, pain and suffering had engulfed them and taken over not only them but everyone who cares about them. Neji. Aidon. Those that died, one he killed. Sakura. The girl he tricked, the girl learned to care for. He had done those… those awful things to her. She was suffering, and it made him suffer. This scar, this wound on his shoulder was a horrid reminder of what he had done, not only on this mission, but in his life.

"Sakura," he said to himself, grabbing at his arms frantically, trying to ease the pain in any way he could. "I may never see you again, Sakura." He looked up at Naruto who stood, claws extended, about ready to pounce.

'_If I never see you again.. I hope you know.. That I care, Sakura.'_

Naruto yelled out in a shrieking battle cry and lunged at Kaelu with the chakra around his fist boiling and flaring with extreme power.

'_Naruto, Sakura, everybody.. I'm sorry.. For everything.'_

In the distance, Hinata approached the pair, about a hundred yards away. She could now make out the two people fighting, but she couldn't yell, she couldn't do anything but run. Run towards him. She kept her eyes on him as he neared Kaelu for his next big attack. She used her byaku gan to get a closer look and to briefly see how this duel was turning out. She saw Naruto had been hurt pretty bad but was glad to see he was in a much better condition than his opponent, who seemed, to her, to be struggling just to stand up. She continued her sprint towards them. She felt that any help she could be to Naruto, the better.

Far behind her, the young apprentice who was once trying to keep up with the prophetic young girl now had some very unfriendly company. He was held close to his two superiors as he was cuffed and escorted towards the struggle going on along the beach.

"I take it you have some results for us then, boy." Limped the older man with the cane to his right. To his left stood the General, tall and broad, towering over his other company. Atsuke just frowned and, with a defeated look, walking after Hinata and the two combatants. Shiro grew impatient and angry and, as his usual fury, took it out by swinging his cane across Atsuke arm. Atsuke didn't help or even defend himself. It barely phased him, it was abuse he was far too used to. "Answer me you useless brat!"

"… grandpa…"

* * *

"We're almost there!" Tsunade exclaimed to her teammates as they ran through the outskirts of the forest as the ground slowly began to shift from soft, fertile dirt to rough sand. The trees eventually disappeared behind them and only dry shrubbery and patches of grass were along their way. The rain, where they had been, had just started and really had just started to pick up. They simply followed the lightning strikes, as they were basically contained to a small area along the shore. 

"Just over this sand dune and we should be able to see."

Sakura was anxious and filled with adrenaline and she sprinted like there was no tomorrow, jumping and hopping up the sand dune, shooting ahead of both Tsunade and Lee. She could smell the salt water, she could hear the waves and feel the humid shore air on her skin as well as the softer, moist sand at her toes. With one last leap, she positioned herself at the top of the hill and looked at the wide open ocean in front of her, and then she saw it. She saw the two figures, standing tall, glowing like candles in a darkened setting. One red, one blue, face to face in mortal combat. She was still a hundred yards or so away, but she could make out the face of the beaten, disheveled boy surrounded in the blue aura.

It was the boy she had come to believe, the boy she had come to finally change..

..and the boy she had grown to.. To love…

Kaelu did not move away as Naruto charged him, poised to attack, poised to kill. He did not see the people approaching him from behind, nor did he see the people reaching the top of the hill behind Naruto. His eyes were locked at the passionate, fiery predator of a ninja in front of him. And rightfully so. He had made this boy's life a living hell, and now. Now, he had tried to return the favor. It was bad enough he had hurt Sakura, and killed a heroic fighter in Neji. But now, his grandfather, his only known relative aside from his brother, passed away and then that very brother, his own blood, was nearly killed before his very eyes.

Minaya Kaelu was not going to take this anymore.

He was going to end it.

Naruto's hand reached back in a wind up, and with the fire surrounding him and the fire in his eyes, he drove his hand forward, claws extended, and with all eyes on hand, dug his hand deep into Kaelu's body, his four finger piercing far into the wound below his collarbone, his thumb forcefully digging into his chest, piercing and burning right through the skin. Kaelu coughed and the two had joined, blood began to trickle from his lips. Naruto scowled and tried to dig the scars deeper. Kaelu then dropped his head low and, bearing the horrible pain, lifted his right hand high above his head. Naruto looked into the enemy's eyes and saw nothing but determination. He saw fearlessness unmatched, even by his own. Uzumaki Naruto and Minaya Kaelu both knew that this fight was now coming to an end…

…and they both knew that, inevitably, there would be no true winner.

With a calm look, the prodigy of the southern continent, the exiled ninja known to be the strongest of them all, Minaya Kaelu stood quietly, staring into the eyes of his opponent. As the clouds began to swirl and fight above him, he was sure of what he had to do, and he whispered the words that were the last for many that had crossed his path.

"Shock Helix."

And then, the explosion.

A brilliant flash lit up the surrounding. A massive bolt of lightning fell from the skies and struck the open hand of Minaya Kaelu. Naruto had no time to react, as his hand was deep into the flesh of his enemy. The electricity hit hard and ran through each of their bodies instantly, burning and destroying them internally with incredible force and speed. The two illuminated with energy for a couple of seconds as they acted as conducts to each other, continuously electrocuting themselves. Naruto's hand broke free from the would in Kaelu's shoulder and each of these warriors fell back onto the sand instantly, smoke pouring from each of them, pools of water and blood surrounding them, neither of them moving, neither of them breathing.

Hinata saw the lightning hit them and she stopped in her tracks for a moment, her eyes wide open, her jaw dropped in a terrified gasp, her fingers to her bottom lip. She watched as each of them fell to the sand and the dust cloud that followed. "_Naruto!!!" _She screamed out, making a mad dash for her boyfriend who now appeared lifeless on the sands with the ocean water creeping closer and closer with the tide.

Sakura yelled out frantically to Naruto as the lightning struck. She could only watch in horror as two of the closest guys in her life were joined in a seemingly sick death ritual. "Oh my God.." she gasped, repeating herself. She felt heavy, she shivered to herself in the cool rain, it took a moment for everything to sink in. "Naruto! Kaelu!!" She began to run towards Naruto when a familiar voice called out to her.

"Sakura!" It was Tsunade, her voice firm. "Stay put. Look." Sakura turned to her teacher, and when she looked back to the crime scene, she saw Hinata, alive and well, on her feet running towards the pair of shinobi, obviously headed towards Naruto. "Hinata," Sakura said to herself. "You're okay.. Thank goodness."

Tsunade looked on, worried and scared for her students, not only Naruto with his injuries, but Sakura and how this would affect her mentally. Rock Lee remained quiet at her side, shocked by the whole situation. He felt it wasn't appropriate to say anything at this time, so he felt left to simply watch what unfolded and take action when only necessary.

Takeno kept an arm to Atsuke's shoulder as the young boy quivered and screamed out to his older brother, hoping for an answer. Shiro continued to step further, his lab coat dragging in the sand, his balance thrown off by the unevenness of the terrain. He took every step with extra caution, making sure his cane was properly planted in the mud and sand. His put his index finger to the center of his glasses and pushed them back, adjusting them. He chuckled to himself as he got a few feet ahead of his comrade and young Atsuke.

"Well, well," he concluded to himself. "It seems as though it's the end of the road for Minaya." He chuckled again, taking his glasses off and wiping the water away with his coat. "It's a pity, really." His evil smile crept over his face. "I was looking forward to testing the lad."

"He mustn't be the Angel, then." Takeno replied.

"He failed us," Shiro snapped back. "For someone who was as exalted for his skills as he was, he seems to have been taken down rather easily. What a waste."

"No," Takeno answered. "Kaelu is far stronger than anyone else I have ever seen. No, there _must've_ been something else. His focus must not have been on this fight." He squeezed the shoulder of young Atsuke lightly, comfortingly, as the young boy by his side began to tear and tremble.

"Brother.. No, this can't be… brother…" his whispers were all too painful, all too real.

Hinata got to Naruto's side and fell to the ground instantly, getting as close to him as she possibly could. She didn't cry, she refused to believe this was the end. It wasn't, she told herself. His breathing was short and almost unnoticeable. His fingertips shivered in the cold rain and he cringed and grimaced ever so lightly with the quickly fading pain. Everything was fading.

Hinata put her hand to his head and moved some of the blonde hair in his face behind his ear. He immediately reacted to her touch and took a deep, soothing breath. He turned his head slightly to the right, where he felt she was. His breathing was more calm now, but further and few in between.

"Naruto-kun," she whispered, running her fingers down his moist, wet cheek. "I'm here."

A small smile crept over his face as he took another long breath and sighed. "I know, Hinata. I know." He struggled to pick his hand up and, with all his effort was able to drag it to his own chest. Hinata took his hand into hers and gently massaged his fingers.

"So," he joked, trying to get a smile onto his love's face. "Did I save you..?"

She couldn't help but smile whenever he did, and she gently squeezed his hand. "You've done far more than that, Naruto."

He laughed quietly and smiled. "Anything for you.. Hinata-chan.."

"You'll be home soon, Naruto. I promise." The tears began to form in her eyes."

"Hey," he slowly lifted his arm up and, through the pain and the burning, was able to wipe the tears from her eyes. "You can't cry," he whispered to her, closing his eyes, shielding them momentarily from the rain.

"Why's that? I'm just so happy to see you again," she kept his other hand in hers, her right hand at his cheek.

"Because," he whispered, his voice fading, his breathing growing quiet. "I already am."

The tears began to flow faster from Hinata's eyes as she struggled to come to grips with the truth. "You're going to be okay, Naruto. Hang in there, you're doing great." She offered a smile, and his eyes warmed instantly. He brushed her cheek.

"I'm always doing great when I'm with you… I.." He took one very long, very deep breath. "I love you, Hinata."

Her hand began to tremble in his. She took that breath with him, alongside him. "I love you too, my Naruto-kun." Naruto slowly picked his head up to kiss her, and as the tears flowed from her eyes, she knew that his kiss, _this_ kiss, would be real, would be forever. Their lips touched, and they closed their eyes, sharing this beautiful moment, hand in hand in the rain. She had prayed and hoped to herself to keep this moment as long as she could, to know his lips as long as she could. The tears rolled down her cheek and met his on his face as they rolled form his cheek down onto the soft sand.

And she felt him exhale softly into her mouth, and she felt him part the kiss.

She felt his head slowly fall back onto the sand..

"Naruto-kun.."

His fingertips slid down her cheek.

"No…"

His hand stopped shaking and his grip loosened into nothing in hers.

"Naruto-kuun!"

His hand fell to the sand, now cold, now still, now lifeless.

The rain continued to fall as Hinata sat over him, her love, her hero. All she could hear, all she knew was his voice, soft and gentle as it had always been, speaking to her from the rain, from the clouds, from everything.

_"Hinata…_"

"Naruto-kun……"

* * *

..To be continued... 


	17. With Grace Unmatched

-1Disclaimer- Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto, all due respect to the gentleman for his characters and his story.

Chapter Seventeen is an intense adventure and a powerful set-up to the conclusion of "Risen." Chapter Eighteen will be shortly following this chapter, so just hang tight!

Thank you soooooooooo much to all my readers and their reviews and responses, and I hope to keep hearing from everybody as this story continues to its conclusion. Thank you to everyone who has helped make Risen such a great experience for me, and I hope to hear from yall real soon! Take care everyone!

Skye.

………………………………...

Chapter Seventeen- With Grace Unmatched

Sakura put her fingers to her lips in shock as her long-time teammate's hand, from a distance, fell limp into the sand. She did not look behind her, but felt the spirit and the mood of her comrades quickly fade into nothingness. The rain touched down hard against her head, shoulders, tapping furiously along the surface of her skin. The breeze blew about a slight chill as the goosebumps slowly rose to the edge of her skin along her bare arms. Her skin tight black shirt, silky and smooth, glistened in the rain, trapping the cold temperatures against her body. She shivered, rubbing her hands along her arms as she fought to keep her composure. That _was_ Naruto out there, laying still, unmoving, unresponsive, and without any sign of… of…

Life.

There wasn't _any_.

"Naruto," she heard Tsunade whisper behind her, but her eyes remained fixed on the scene. Kaelu lay motionless, though still visibly breathing, a few feet away from Naruto, who was, indeed, lifeless on the sands. Noone from her team could believe. Just even yesterday, she had seen his huge grin, his big, contagious smile fill the air with a comforting feeling, putting smiles on everyone else's face. She had seem him before the congregation yesterday, happily kissing Hinata without any regret, happy with himself and with them. Now, that was gone, and there was no longer comfort in the air. All that remained was the lingering pain of a tragic day on a rainy, lonely beach.

The rain mixed in with the tears on her cheeks as they rolled down her smooth skin to her chin before dropping to the damp sands of the earth. She knew all eyes were on her; on her and her fallen lover, slain on the desolate shoreline of the open ocean. She kept his one hand, cold and unforgiving, in hers while his fallen hand still rested in the small dunes of grain. The summer storm chilled the air as the cycling breezes, the northern and southern gusts clashing and swirling in the air, mixed the salty air and the sand about, strewing particles of dust and dirt all about. Hinata kept her head down, her bangs preventing the sand from reaching her eyes, but the wind had blown her hair continuously about in the wind, her long locks of majestic violet hair tossing about in the storm behind her.

Her eyes stayed on him, his damp hair, his pale cheeks, the life faced from his skin, his lips, his very essence. "Naruto," she whispered, taking her hand and gently placing it on his cheek. Never had she experienced anything so cold. She brushed his hair from his cheek and led it behind his ear. There was no expression in her face, nor in her eyes. Only feelings of grief had found company within her mind as sorrow had consumed her. No amount of time could have ever prepared her for this moment. This was Uzumaki Naruto, her hero, her sweetheart, her… her boyfriend, laying beside her, cold and darkened. This was her hope, her future, her inspiration and motivation, her dreams and her wishes, now painfully taken away by hatred, by war and by ignorance. The tears in her eyes were of hopelessness and despair, and filled with heartbreaking destruction. Hyuuga Hinata traced her fingertips down the cheek of the silence young man next to her, down his cheek, past his chin, down to his chest, to where his heart sat in his chest, stopped and cold. The tears streamed down her cheeks like rivers as she began to sob and gasp for air in between breaths. She blinked away countless tears and quivered and shook to herself in the cold air as she struggled to find words, to find any feelings or emotions that could even _begin_ to describe how she felt right now. "Naruto-kun," she whispered to herself once more, knowing there would be no answer but still hoping nonetheless.

Sakura took a slight step out towards the pair. She struggled with herself as well. She wanted desperately to comfort her sister and best friend, but she knew Kaelu was still alive. She knew he could still be saved as much as she wanted to believe Naruto still could be. She wanted to get over there and do whatever she could to help.

Tsunade, actually, took a step back. She knew the pains of these moments all too well, and even as Hokage, she had to let her students and younger generation truly take in and come to terms on their own these tragedies when they happen. She understood the pain, the agony, the feeling that you're alone in this great, big world. She knew, and she knew that, especially for the two young girls here, this would be especially hard. It's bad enough to cope with the loss of a teammate, but a loved one is a completely different story, and one the Fifth Hokage had known all too well.

Atsuke felt the chains yank and pull him a step backwards. He felt the large hand of the general catch him from falling backwards, and he looked up to him with big, grateful eyes momentarily. The chains yanked once more and he snapped his glare to the right where Shiro stood, behind the boy, chain links in hand. The Southern scientist shook his head to himself and chuckled under his breath.

"At least the poor bastard lived," he stated. He saw Atsuke's glare deepen, though without any remorse of feeling to the situation, he continued. "He obviously isn't the Angel, however," he took a step forward and adjusting his glasses. "He certainly succeeded in finding the specimen."

Atsuke glanced back over to where the melee once flourished. "Hinata," he whispered. Shiro stepped forward again, closing the distance between the two parties. Takeno continued with them, keeping a couple of feet behind the scientist as young Atsuke was pulled along with him. As Atsuke struggled through the sift of sands keeping his balance, he couldn't pull his eyes away from the carnage he had just witnessed. He saw his brother breathing, _struggling_ to breathe, and he just wanted to help, he _had_ to! He tried to break free from the grip of Kagetsu Shiro, only to find himself being tugged forcefully to his side. Atsuke yelped out in pain as he spun around besides Shiro, almost hitting the ground hard. Shiro didn't even flinch as he continued onward.

"Where do you think you're going, boy?" Atsuke could only glare at him behind his back. Shiro laughed. "This is about things you're far too young to understand, Atsuke. You better take in this day with pride." The bottom of his cane, sturdy and pointed, dug into the sand fiercely with each plant as he stumbled across the terrain. The shackles gripped firmly, the tossed Atsuke around again so that he was at his left side. Atsuke tripped in the sand and, after regaining balance, tried to look into his mentor's eyes. He couldn't, as Shiro's long graying hair and the raindrops on his glasses prevented a clear view. His smirk, though, was quite visible.

About twenty feet away, Kagetsu Shiro stopped and, planting his cane firmly in front of him, stared down at the victims in the sand in front of him.

Tsunade stood poised to attack these new threats if necessary. "They must be his escort. Lee, be ready to defend if necessary. We don't know anything about these people but two against two are pretty good odds. Sakura!" The young apprentice turned around slowly, tears in her emerald eyes, the light in them dimmed dramatically. It was obvious the life was seeping from her as well.

"Go to them, Sakura. Do what you can." Her eyes widened slightly, she parted her lips, gasping in surprise of the order. "If we break towards the scene, that's when I want you to run for it." Tsunade turned towards the group further out on the sand. "We know for a fact Kaelu is alive, and effort should be made to at least save him. He's no use and no harm to anybody now. Get him away from the others and do what you can to revive him."

"What about Naruto?" she pleaded to Tsunade, _and_ herself. She didn't want to believe the truth.

"Sakura," she said sternly, now avoiding eye contact. "I'll do what I can with Naruto, if anything." After a pause and a deep breath, her eyes connected with Sakura's again. "You focus on keeping Kaelu alive, alright? I'll do everything I can, I promise," Sakura nodded slowly in response. "Everyone be ready!" she exclaimed. "We don't make a move unless they do."

Sakura tried desperately to keep her focus. She thought about Kaelu and his constant struggle to stay alive, she saw Hinata still perched alongside Naruto in a setting that should only exist in sad stories, and here she was, living it, and the creep walking towards them, smirking and laughing, playing God with these young warriors, playing God with this war, pursuing what was considered the ultimate weapon. It made her sick and, for the first time in days, angry. She felt the energy return to her body, filled with both rage and confusion, the chakra, moments ago dorment and without a purpose, now strived, burning and flowing through her body. She couldn't sit back and watch anymore. Her life was unraveling all around her, and it was time to take action.

_"Hinata.._"

Hinata composed herself and was able to ease her sobbing, but the tears continued to flow down her cheeks. She sniffled to herself, imagining in her mind his smile, his warmth, his kiss. She longed to have those again, it had been too long, and then, all of a sudden too soon. Her dear Naruto was gone for over two years, and now that he was back, and now that they were in love, it had only been a week: a week of death, tragedy, and just utter chaos. She had lost so much in such a short amount of time, and it was just culminating into this mass, this matter of emotion; a cluster of words and screams, memories both good and bad, touches and kisses now furiously drove around in her mind, encasing her in her own mind. She desperately wanted to shun the reality around her as she drowned herself in her own thoughts and in the echoes of those that have impacted her in this past week. Images of Neji and her father, her sister at the bath house, her relatives, solemn and soft spoken after the death of her dear cousin; her teammates, Kiba and Shino, teasing her about Naruto, and then quiet after the Neji incident, offering solace. She remember Naruto's expression at the lake when she performed her water dance for him, then the laughing and splashing, then the cuddling and keeping warm as the sun set. She held onto him, remembering holding his hand in the hospital, confessing her deepest feelings for him while he slept, and again as he gazed into her eyes.

_"Hinata,"_

Neji's voice now echoed. She remembered seeing Neji on that godforsaken bed as everyone mourned around him. She remembered the pain, she remembered the tears. She remembered Naruto's arm around her. He never left her side. His voice returned to her.

_"I love you, Hinata-chan.."_

'That night,' she whispered to herself, lost in her own world. 'That night was one that will stay with me forever.. Your eyes.. Your smile, your words. They all… they were all so real… so true… You made me feel so alive.' She remembered the silence before that first kiss, and then that moment, that bliss that they shared, together. His lips, his soft lips, his gentle touch made her shiver to the bone in a way she had never felt before. 'You always believed in me, Naruto-kun. And, when I woke up and looked into your eyes, I just knew… I felt it… our love it… it was true!' She was crying from within.

'I'd give anything to have that back, Naruto… I… I don't know what to do… how to feel…' She remembered Kakashi and his injuries, and how sorry she felt for him, for Naruto, for Sakura. She backtracked, she thought of Sakura at the hospital, the words of confidence she gave her. The will to express herself to her love, to pursue her dreams. 'Sakura,' she echoed to herself. 'I… I'm sorry this has happened… because… because of me… I," she paused and felt her hand touch the scar on her wrist. 'I'm not sure myself what's going on… but… I'm sorry, Sakura… I'm sorry to everyone…'

She remembered Oroyo's soft spoken words, and then the sudden shock and pain of betrayal. She remembered Neji, the dream, his goodbye, her tears. She remembers waking up to the storm, to her true love, fighting for her, making the penultimate sacrifice for her, to save her…

… and here she was: saved. Alive. And here _he_ was, Uzumaki Naruto, so far away…

'I… I didn't…' she fought within herself desperately, searching for reason, searching for answers. 'I didn't… say good-bye, Naruto.'

The images of Naruto and herself fluttered through her mind.

'No,' she echoed to herself.

The imagery began to beat and blink faster in her mind. She embraced the echo of her heartbeat, soothing and steady.

'I won't say good-bye…'

Through all of the memories, she continued to struggle accepting what had been… that word… _had_… it was all too real… and this reality then hit her harder then any physical blow could possibly match. She loved him, and he _had_ loved her… and now… now he was gone… and young Hyuuga Hinata, so new to life and its experiences, the fruits of passion and love, the extremes of pain and sorrow, and the hopes of miracles, reached deep within herself.

'This isn't the end..'

Hinata had found a calming, soothing state of mind, a feeling, a mood unlike any other.

It was then that she felt, all too real, the touch of that first kiss on that warm summer evening.

… And now, young Hyuuga Hinata had been awakened.

………………………………...

_There was a presence. One he hadn't felt in ages. He lifted his head slowly and painfully off of the ground where the calm pool of water once rested. It was only mere inches, but enough to motivate himself to open his eyes. To his surprise, he was blinded by a fantastic light greeting him, and a powerful, pure chakra. This energy dazzled in white and purple streaks of light, amiating the dreary, cold sanctuary of which he rested. His eyes widened, and his big, foxy grin stretched from ear to ear. Barely alive, the Nine-tailed demon, significantly smaller in usual size, found himself face to face with an all too familiar being, weak and dying in front of her, only a shell of his former glory._

_"Don't run away on me, now." Her soothing voice traveled far into the depths of the chamber. She touched down onto the surface of the water with her toes, her bare feet, slowly leveling themselves on the surface. Her white skin accentuated her deep blue hair, and her gorgeous green eyes seemed to shine, even in here, the darkest of places. She smiled gently as she took a step along the water, her toe tracing the surface, enjoying the feel of the cool water on her foot._

_"How on earth.. What are you doing here?"_

_"Keeping an eye on you," she responded ever so calmly. "It's been quite a while."_

_"Yeah," the demon chuckled. "After all these years," he chuckled to himself. "And you still think you can tame me, don't you?"_

_"You know," she stepped up to the Kyuubi, now the size of a wolf, and put her hand to its head, lightly scratching him. "For somebody who's dying, you certainly don't sound like you want help." She giggled and scratched behind his ear. He groaned._

_"Don't treat me like a pet, Maya," the monster scowled, grunting and coughing under its breath. "Damn this boy, Uzumaki." he cursed to himself. "Believing he knew the full extent of my power. He doesn't have a clue on how to control me, not like.."_

_"Me?" She interrupted, smiling._

_"I didn't want to be controlled," he retorted, growling. "You tried to make me a summon of yours, some kind of… some kind of pet."_

_"I did no such thing," She stood up as the monster fox coughing heavily, wheezing and gasping for air. "Just because I wanted a partner didn't mean I wanted to control you."_

_The Kyuubi grinned his sly grin, "Why would you want me as a partner? I'm a monster, all I've known is deception and destruction. I live off of these things, I feed off of them."_

_"Because," She smiled and kneeled down to him once again. "There's good in everyone; in everything."_

_"What more can I do?"_

_"Trust me," Maya said, standing up slowly. She flipped her hair back and then turned, walking away from him into the darkness. She stopped just before she was out of sight. "Remember what the fates said, Kyuubi-san," The Kyuubi opened his eyes, looking directly at her, within her._

_"We knew this day would come, even when you ran away from me all those years ago. We were destined to prevent this war. Together." She winked and blew a kiss to her old partner. "It's not over yet, believe me." She stepped forward, again, and into the darkness she disappeared, leaving behind a crisp breeze and an echoing reminder of their destiny._

_"Believe it."_

………………………………

Her eyes shot open with the most illuminated, deep green eyes one would've ever seen. Had Sakura not noticed these beautiful orbs immediately, the feeling of the moment would've been lost as Hinata closed her eyes tightly and let out a loving, passionate scream with the volume and emotion never before seen from the young chuunin. Her tears flew from her eyes as she clenched her hands together tightly at her chest. His name was all she knew, and it was all she needed…

"_Narutoooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

An explosion of bright light burst from her body, beaming in all directions, lighting the sky for miles. Her screamed was drowned out and eventually blended in with the sounds of swirling winds and active chakra flow. The echo of the fallen boy's name extended in the air for quite some time. The display of purple and white had, at first, blinded all of the nearby witnesses as the each turned their head, blinking furiously or covering their faces, doing the same. The violet aura soon settled around her, rotation and whirling around her body. Sparks of white chakra, pure energy, flared from the veil of chakra, and, like fireworks, spun from her, dissipating into the soft sands of the morning shoreline. Within this purple veil, a white wring of pure energy emitted from this power and formed above her head, almost like a halo of light. Her body slowly pulled up from the ground where she had rested herself, and soon, she was elevated up, above the sand, floating on air. Her body remained calm, her head lowered, her hands drooped at her sides, legs relaxed and straight as the chakra held her above the sands.

Shiro was the first to remove his arm from his face, and he was the first to actually see the spectacle in front of him. He quickly adjusted his glasses, his jaw slightly dropped, staring in awe at this amazing transformation. The halo over her head slowly expanded outward, and slowly began to lower itself around Hinata's body. The transformation was underway.

Sakura stared in complete shock and disbelief as she watched this magical white power change Hinata into this incredible being. From head to toe, her appearance changed. Her long, violet hair was now wavy with deep blue streaks blended in as it flowed in the cycling air of chakra. Her eyes opened, the deep emerald color combined with a light swirl of the violet-eyes Hinata was always admired for. Her clothing didn't change, her black silk shirt simply fluttered in the air, but two bright lights shone on her shoulder blades. At the aura fell below her waist, her hands, by her sides, seemed to emit chakra, but her left hand gave off this dark, black orb of chakra, while the sphere of energy around her right hand gave off the complete opposite: a swirling, rotating white force. As it passed her fingertips, her fingernails also changed color to match the color of the corresponding chakra.

The ring went down her legs and down to her feet, spinning rapidly as it dropped below her toes. This power soon spun so fast, it burst into a flare of pure chakra, dissipating into the air around her. Another, smaller white halo formed at her head again, this one here to stay. From the chakra openings on her back suddenly sprouted two large wings. Her body arched back, her head cocked back, turned to the sky in pain as she grimaced from the chakra basically opening up her body. Her right wing was this gorgeous, angelic wing, white feathers lining its majestic appearance. Her left wing looked like that of a demonic creature, black feathers across it, the bend in the wing slightly more construed than the other, not nearly as broad and as full as it's white opposite.

Kagetsu Shiro continue to gaze at this beauty. All of his years of researching, all of his experimenting and planning were now at the forefront. The prophecy he had searched fifteen years for was now in front of him. This gorgeous presence was all he needed for the power and filthy greed to consume his spirit.

"The Fallen Angel," he whispered to himself, taking another step closer. "It's here.. It's finally here, and in my grasp." He began to laugh to himself. "Such radience, such beauty, such unearthly power!" He began to recite the prophecy to himself, going over every word in his mind.

"When the Great Demon is sealed away.."

Naruto's body laid underneath the heavenly creature, some sand kicked up onto his matter from the wind and the chakra.

".. The Fates of Heaven will deliver down an Angel.. To serve the purposes of its Awakener."

Sakura was ready to jump in as she saw Shiro take each slow step after step.

"When risen, the Fallen Angel will fight for the cause of its protectors, whether bringing life or death to the land.."

Tsunade raised her hand to signal Lee, the wind blowing against them, sand spewing every which way. Lee nodded his head, ready for the signal.

"Up there!" Atsuke pointed at Sakura and her teammates. Takeno's head snapped to the left and saw the team of Konoha ninja, ready to counterstrike. He readied himself, tossing off his cape and putting his hand to his side, where he kept his military sword and a revolver. Shiro didn't even respond to Atsuke's cry as he was too obsessed with the Angel in front of him.

"It is love that will bring it to life,"

Hinata relaxed her body, lowering her head again, her jeweled eyes now calm, her arms and legs comfortably resting as she floated in the air.

"And it is hatred, that will deliver its purpose.." Shiro smiled his sickening grin and quickly made a string of hand signs in succession. "My purpose!"

"_Now!" _Tsunade and Lee charged at full speed while Sakura, stumbling in the sand her first couple of steps, made a break for Kaelu.

"Dark Practice! Tethered Dream Seal!" Shiro extended his hands and released a fast and powerful jutsu towards the Angel, her back turned to him. The seal, moving incredibly fast, struck Hinata on the left arm, just above her elbow, she cried out in surprise, a mix of two screams. One of the was definitely recognized as Hinata's voice.

"Direct hit!" Shiro exclaimed, but before he could react or even celebrate his successful blow, he, himself, was drilled hard and into the muddy waters of the ocean's edge by Tsunade's punch. At the same time, Atsuke fell forward the other way, and stumbled into the sand. Surprised, he turned around to see Tsunade in her prepared stance and behind her, and no more than a foot away from him, Rock Lee. Atsuke felt the chains and the cuffs break and his hands from free, the rings of the handcuffs still around his wrists.

"Wow," Rock Lee smirked. "Those chains were easier to break that I thought they would be. Are you okay, little guy?"

"Yeah," Atsuke answered half-heartedly, still trying to piece together what had just happened. "You're here to fight us?"

"No, we're not here to fight, but we will take back Hinata at any cost. _That_ is our mission." He pumped his fist confidently. "We will not fail, now come with me. I'll get you somewhere safe."

"Kaelu, hang on!" Sakura ran to his side, sliding in the last few feet to end up by his side in the sand. He was breathing quietly, grunting and groaning in pain, desperately clinging to life. She brushed some sand lightly off of him, off of his face and his arms, the irritated and burned skin stung him intensely. He cried out in pain as the young medical ninja fought to keep her composure and not break down. She paused a moment to look over at Hinata as she grabbed at the seal on her arm, wanting to make sure she was okay. "Hang in there, Hinata. Please, you can do this, you will."

She rubbed her hands together, removing the sand from her palms and she grabbed the collar of Kaelu's shirt and, with a quick tug, she tore his shirt right down the middle, exposing his chest and stomach. Her eyes widened as she noticed the wound on his shoulder for the first time, and she knew instantly this was what had been causing him pain all week.

_Without any further hesitation, he yanked it out from his body as a combination of static and blood sprayed from the wound. "Damnit!!" He yelled out.._

"It makes sense now," Sakura concluded to herself. "So _that's _what it's from." She had to work fast. He was drifting in and out of consciousness and the mess in his body would soon end him if she didn't clean his system up right away. She put her hands cautiously over the wound on his shoulder and went to work.

Shiro got up on his own two feet, cursing under his breath, rubbing his cheek, now bruised and cut. He struggled to keep balance without his cane. "So, that's how it's going to be, then." He stretch his arms over his head, cracking his fingers and knuckles before dropping his arms back to his sides. "I'm not concerned with you, you bitch," Shiro scowled. "You'll be dealt with in time. This is _my_ time, a time where the Southern Continent will transcend to new power, to a level never before seen in our times!" he laughed, raising his hands in the direction of Hinata. "This is our future! Her power, _my_ power! My power will lead a _new_ military and national order to Kyoko and all of the nations! We will overcome the decades of oppression your wretched leaders had made us suffer, and we will make _your_ nations suffer the same tragedy!"

"You're f---ing _sick,_" Tsunade snorted.

"This war _will_ happen, Hokage!" Shiro laughed. "Death will touch your nations just as it had plagued ours!" He made a hand sign, and Tsunade, in defense, readied her hands close to each other, prepared to counter with anything she could.

Sakura watched as the seal on Hinata's arm began to burn away, resisting entrance into her body. "This is amazing," Sakura said to herself. "Hinata's _willing_ the seal off of her body. Her power is unreal!" She felt the chakra flow from her hands into Kaelu's wound and the pus and blood from the wound slowly seeped from his body and hovered, mixed in with the clump of chakra and static between her hands and the gash. Her chakra flowed in while his continued to ooze out. As she saw that his chakra was becoming clearer and less infected, she felt the life slowly returning to him. His skin was becoming more pigmented and it was clear his breathing had calm down significantly. It wasn't much longer before his eyes began to twitch and his fingertips began to move. She smiled quickly to herself, feeling, for the first time in a long time, accomplished.

His eyes slowly opened as he grunted and groaned his way back to consciousness. He was surprised to see her leaning over him, her hands firmly over his chest, the flow of green leaing power cycling through him. He could feel it, it was amazing, so full of good energy, intent, and life! He was alive, and she, Haruno Sakura, she was keeping him alive! He was surprised she would be this close to him, even in his true appearance. He was _not_ the face she had loved, but here she was.

"Sakura," he whispered, a defeated and humiliated look upon his face. He needed to apologize, for the ambush, for Hinata, for Kakashi, for everything. "Sakura-chan, I'm… I'm.."

".. I know."

"Elemental Jutsu: Sand Cyclone!" The sands around him and around Tsunade began to circle slowly. Takeno watched carefully as these two titans fought on the sands dividing two nations.

"What the hell is he up to?" Not even Takeno knew of Shiro's abilities, as Kagetsu was infamous for hiding so much from everybody. More than half of his experiments and projects were confidential, and General Riu had spent years trying to uncover some of these works.

But Tsunade was prepared.

"Oh no you don't!" She leaned forward and slammed the ground with her fist. The sands shot in all directions, parting away from the two combatants. She jumped high into the air as Shiro, caught off guard, fell back from the tremor. Tsunade looked behind her to the two strangers far from the action. "Lee, now!" Lee looked up at her and immediately nodded. Within a flash, he was gone, moving at an intense speed towards the mad scientist. Before Shiro even hit the ground behind him, he was propelled into the air by Rock Lee's swift kick, and soon juggled by blow after blow, being kicked up higher and higher with each hit.

The years had taken their toll on Kagetsu Shiro. He was no longer the powerful and frightening scientist of his past. His knowledge and extensive skill with ninjutsu, now, meant nothing. He was old, his body was fragile, and as mentally ahead of the game as he was, he was weak. Far weaker than he ever had shown anybody. And now, now it was in clear sight. He knew this could be it. He bruised and bumped from each blow by Rock Lee, a dozen in succession, until that thirteenth hit, a side winding kick by the Green Beast of Konoha, sent him flying, projectiled towards Tsunade at hurried speed. Tsunade had timed her jump perfectly, she was waiting, elbow raised, to crack into the chest of Kagetsu Shiro..

.. And she didn't miss.

The sands below spouted in a circle around the body as Kagetsu Shiro landed fiercly into the dirt below with a thud between Sakura and Hinata. He strained to move his body, to recover from the severe damage he had just taken. He body was broken and he had ached everywhere. He moaned in absolute pain as he lifted his hand and planted it into the sand. He was able to lift himself up to his hands and knees only by the will of his sick determination, and when he looked up, he saw nothing but glamorous lights, a mystical display of colors and chakra, burning in the air, burning with fury, burning with revenge.

He sat there, in the sands, face to face with this immaculate being, his eyes glowing in its radience. Such beauty, such power! Such passionate, merciless power! Merciless… that word, again. _She would stop at nothing._

She had certainly been awakened, but not controlled, and now her eyes were on him, Kagetsu Shiro, the mastermind of this infiltration mission, and the seal he had placed on her in an attempt to harness her infinite power..

..a seal that was being easily destroyed before his very eyes like it was nothing but a mere sticked.

He stood frozen in time as she slowly approached, chakra flowing from her in the masses, white, purple and black chakra matter hovered with her and around her, and soon, around him. The black had surrounded him and the black orb engulfing her hand began to rage. That wicked energy touched his body with absolute cold, with a chill he had never felt before. That touch _was_ death, and he couldn't move away from it. Shiro, in his sick and twisted mind, was drawn to it. He was fascinated by this infinity, by this deathly aura, by what would be his certain end..

Hinata raised her left hand, black and sinister at Shiro and he was petrified, scared but intrigued like never before. She pointed her finger at him, The black glowing around her hand, her eyes, green and beautiful, murderously gazing into Shiro's.

"It's over." She spoke, and her wings extended. She flew forward, the two auras of black chakra between them coming together and, in this moment of darkness, the sun peered out through the clouds, shining down on Hinata and Hinata alone.

Her destined touch, the cold and the black touch of the Angel's graces, had blessed him with the chakra of immeasurable power and infinite cold.

And as this sinister power entered him at his heart gate, and took over his body at light speed, he felt himself satisfied, consumed with infinite power, and the unbelievable rush raised a smirk to his lips in that final moment.

"Such… power… I can feel it…"

The last of his chakra was gone.

Death had swallowed him whole.

………………………………...

_**To be continued…**_


	18. Righteousness

Disclaimer- Naruto (C) Masashi Kishimoto

-**Risen- A NaruHina fanfic**

**Chapter Eighteen- Righteousness**

* * *

The black chakra had encased him in a frigid, black orb of dark energy, and once it had settled into a solid mass, the chakra dispursed in all directions as if it were light as ash, dancing in the breeze, disintegrating into nothing.

And nothing was left. Shiro was completely gone.

Kaelu tried to sit up, both amazed and intimidated by what Hinata had become and by what she had just done. He felt the remnants of the cold, black chakra in the air, the touch of death hovering around him, and it was beyond unbearable. He was thinking to himself, frantically, how he desperately wanted this feeling to go away. He had the feeling that he, too, was surrounded by this unforgiving power. Kaelu felt that he, too, was at the mercy of this being.

And, when Hinata's emerald eyes locked onto his as she turned her head towards him in the deepest and coldest of stares, he knew that he was right. Her vengeance was hovering over him, carrying her on those beautiful, awe-inspiring wings, the streams of black and white energy burning from her body in ribbons and strings of pure chakra. As she turned and floated nearer to him, he felt the air getting warmer, the chill gone, drowning under the light she emitted from her own glow. Minaya Kaelu tried to scoot back, but with Sakura by his side, he had bumped right into her. She glanced at him cautiously, then back up at Hinata, scared for his life. She managed to prop him up along her shoulder, preventing him from toppling over, and, with both of his arms locked, his hands sturdily in the sand, she was able to, once leaning against him, touch her fingers over his.

'Hinata,' she thought to herself, looking into the deadly beauty approaching her and her summer romance. 'What are you thinking.. What are you planning to do..?'

"Sakura," she spoke, her voice doubled over with her own and with the ghost that used her as a living vessel. Both voices were equally soft, but the deeper, sterner tone of Maya made for an eerie hum of the two voices, together in dissonant harmony. Her wings expanded, unfolding and opening up a beautiful picture, one that couldn't even be imagined in dreams. She was, for lack of better words, amazing, and Haruno Sakura, despite the situation and circumstances of her awakening, tried her hardest to take this all in. But now, Hinata, whatever she was, waited impatiently for a response. Their two pairs of glowing green eyes now met in the most intense of exchanges.

"Hi… Hinata-san.."

She raised her left hand to Kaelu, and in the palm of her hand, Minaya Kaelu saw what could be considered infinite darkness as Hinata's fingers slowly curled and her index finger slowly pointed to not just him, but his heart. Kaelu was petrified, his body trembled with a fear he had never before experienced. Sakura felt him shaking and she brushed her fingers over his, rubbing gently, reminding him that she was here.

"Move, Sakura." Her words were direct and of all seriousness. Sakura gasped under her breath. _Move_. That meant move out of the way, away from harm.. Away from.. Kaelu.

"Hinata," Sakura began to plead, quietly. "What.. What are you going to do?" She hesitated to ask, though it was quite clear she knew Hinata's intent. The Angel looked at Sakura, her eyes swirling pools of green, her white skin glowing in the summer air. The sun hid behind the clouds once more and the rains came to a completely stop. The wind picked up a gust and a few of Hinata's feathers, both black and white, fluttered in the air.

"I want to end this," Hinata exclaimed. "This war is a product of the corrupt government of the South and the mission to infiltrate our land for warfare. An entire team of promising ninja had been brought down by this power, as well as the life of a hero and one of the most respectable ninja of Konoha, Hyuuga Neji. The city has been brought to chaos and the threat of war is now upon both continents." She glared deep into the soul of Minaya Kaelu. "On top of that, you've taken away he who is most precious to me. You have taken the life of another, Kaelu, the life of Uzumaki Naruto, and thus affected the lives of hundreds, perhaps thousands. Uzumaki Naruto was a friend and a role-model to everyone, and an inspiration and admiration to me. He was my love, he was my dream, and he was my future. Minaya Kaelu, you are guilty of warfare, assault, and murder, and _must_ be put down." Maya's voice came through loud and clear, much broader than Hinata's for her final statement. "**As I had lived by the Golden Rule, you will now die by it."**

"Hinata, I.." Sakura fumbled with her words, her jaw still dropped, she searched desperately for the words that would express herself, to clear herself, to reason herself. Hinata's eyes shifted once again to Sakura, this time with disdain.

"He betrayed you as well as the rest of the village. He is and always will be a danger to those around him, and his power, which cannot be harnessed, must be destroyed. He who has denied and future and promise of so many in our village will now lose his own." The black chakra, condensed in a small orb, now surrounded her fingertip. This dark energy looked fierce, and for it's size, it certainly looked powerful. Minaya Kaelu saw the density of the orb and could only guess just how jam packed with chakra it must be. Sakura didn't need to guess. She knew it would be enough to kill him.

"Hinata, please, listen to me," Sakura spoke up, glancing over at Kaelu before returning her focus to the young lady in front of her. The Angel did not move, the chakra continued to focus more and more at her fingertip, become more intense by the second. Kaelu's eyes now moved to Sakura and her expression. She was obviously shaken up and quite fearful, but why? He just couldn't understand why she was so afraid, afraid of what? What might happen to him? Why should she be..

"Sakura," his voice subtle, rose from the sands.

She looked down at him, her eyes warm. "Kaelu-kun." Sweat dripped from her forehead, the heat from the immense chakra was becoming overbearing. She wiped her forehead with her forearm and offered a smile in Kaelu's direction.

"Why.. Sakura, why? I.. I tried to kill you.." Kaelu couldn't even _begin_ to express himself. He never had to before. All these years, all these missions had just gone by in solitude. For so long he didn't have to answer to anybody; he accepted his missions, completed them flawlessly, earned his pay and survived. He had never _fully_ understood love, before, and now he asked himself, maybe, just maybe, this was it..

"Why are you still by my side, Sakura?"

"Sakura," the powerful, melodic tone of Taregosu Maya rose. "Move out of the way!" The chakra began to seep up from the sands. The chilled black energy slowly rose in a circle around the two, forming a ring around the two shinobi. As bits and pieces of the chakra broke off into the air, Sakura and Kaelu immediately caught feeling of the icy, bitter energy that represented the darkest of nightmares. Hyuuga Hinata, impatient and now vengeful, stood poised and ready to strike forward as the horrid chakra completed its ring and now connected its energy with that of the Angel's, just like it had right before she struck Shiro.

"Sakura! Please, get out of the wa-"

"Hinata, I love him!!"

Kaelu gasped and gazed up at his.. His love with sheer disbelief. She.. She.. There's no way, it's just.. Not possible. 'How.. How could she?"

"Please, understand!" She cried out, her eyes sweet and moist with emotion. "For years, I thought I knew what love was. I thought I grasp its meaning, its feelings. I thought I understood what it was to love someone." Hinata's eyes remained cold and unheartened.

"I.. I felt in my heart that I knew who I loved, and that I would do whatever it took to earn that love, and, day by day, night by night, I never gave in to the fact that I was in over my head. I never gave into the idea that he.. He was never coming back.." tears began to flow from her eyes, one by one, slowly down her dirtied cheek. "I lied to myself for years, thinking that was what I needed to feel, what I needed to do in order to love. I.. I grew desperate!" She paused a moment, gathering herself as Kaelu and Hinata looked onward.

"I became depressed, I was always so sad, so worried, so disappointed in myself, disappointed in the lie I was living and that I wasn't strong enough to escape it, and when I finally did, I told myself, to hell with it! To hell with everything else! I told myself that I needed to just.. be myself And.. And though I was ignoring it at first, I know that Kakashi-sensei and Naruto and so many others have been trying to help me along with this, so that I could finally be myself again! Even you, Hinata. Don't you remember?"

Hinata's eyes warmed up to Sakura's words, though she kept herself readied to attack, refusing to let down even the slightest bit.

"You've always been there for me, Hinata, my sister, and when I decided it was time to move on, when I decided it was time for me to bloom, I met Kaelu, and he showed me it was okay to be myself. He helped show me I was beautiful for who I was. He made me feel like I was new to life, that I was beautiful, that I was _somebody. _Surely you understand!"

Hinata closed her eyes. Her, Maya, they both remembered their first respective kisses. "Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered softly. She remember how she felt that instant: important, loved, and alive. And what an amazing feeling it was; so thrilling, so captivating, so.. So unique!

"Kaelu returned life to me that I had once lost faith in, and I could never thank him enough for it.." Sakura began to openly weep between each sentence, trying to keep the strength to continue. "I'm willing to forgive him, Hinata, I know what he has done, and I know what more he's capable of, but he's changed since his time here, _I've_ changed, Hinata. We all have, don't you see it?" Hinata reopened her eyes, but instead of softening her glance to Sakura, she instead looked straight down into the sands.

"Maybe I think it's love.. Maybe it isn't.. but I've been down this road before in the past, and I've grown, Hinata, and I've learned so much in life about the pain, the sorrow, the solitude.. Feeling so alone in life.. And if this isn't love, then I don't know what the hell is!"

A single tear trickled down Hinata's eye.

"I love him, Hinata!" She cried, inching her hand over so that it was now completely over his. "Don't take this away from me!"

And Hinata looked back into her sister's eyes and she saw everything, the passion, the desire, the desperation of wanting to do everything you could for that one special person, the one person that was able to change your life, and she understood. She understood everything. She knew the pains, the depression, the terrible thoughts and memories. She had felt the same sorrow before, the same loneliness, the same desolate, hopeless cries. She blinked back some fighting tears, trying so hard not to let up until she let her gaze wander in front of her again..

On her left arm, amongst the frigid, black chakra that crept up and down from her fingers to her shoulders, opposite her shoulder, was a scar, white as snow, glowing amongst the black, a grim reminder of that pain she once understood and suffered all too well.

Hinata struggled within herself for an answer, searching desperately for the right thing to do. She knew violence wasn't it, it couldn't possibly be the solution. She knew very well that revenge only led to more hatred and more disaster, but she couldn't help the temptation. She wanted him dead. The unforgiving memories drove her to murder, and now the taste of blood was all too within reach. Her true love had been taken away from her from right under her, and the killer was here, in striking distance, rendered helpless and with nowhere to run. She had the power to end him, without a doubt, but she just couldn't bring herself to, despite the temptation, despite the gratification she _knew_ she would get, but it just wasn't in her.

Hinata knew she wasn't in control of herself. She was awakened, and she understood that some.. _unexplainable_ presense was driving her, collaborating with her, pushing her in what should be "right" and "wrong," towards what should be the inevitable judgement of Minaya Kaelu, but she couldn't. Though as long as she stared into the eyes of the once cold-hearted murderer, she continued to drown in this temptation. She wanted to stand up for her lost, to avenge Naruto… to kill for him. She wanted so badly to give in and kill Minaya for all he had done, but it didn't feel right, it just.. Wasn't right. Hyuuga Hinata fought with the being inside of her, trying to reason right from wrong. She tried to convince herself of Sakura's words, that he had changed. That he _was_ changing, and that he should be given the right to change.

'Hinata,' a voice from within whispered. It seemed as though time had stopped all around them, slowly down to miniscule measurements. The gentle voice from within had called out to her. She felt the warmth of this other presence, her touch, soothing, calming her. She felt the presence from within, supporting her, reasoning with her almost like an.. An..

"An Angel," Hinata whispered as she felt what seemed to be two hands on her shoulders, though noone was actually there.

'It's okay, my child,' the voice explained within Hinata's mind. 'I understand what you're feeling. Kaelu faces his judgment, and he is guilty of so much, Hinata. But you are loyal to your friends as if they were your own blood. You give your life for them and would do anything for them.' Hinata's eyes grew warmer once more as she stared out at Sakura and Kaelu, petrified on the sands in front of her. Her finger, pointed, began to shake, as did the rest of her arm.

'I understand your pain, Hinata. You have been blessed with a beautiful gift; a chance to understand life and death for what it is, and what it should be.' The touch now slowly went down her left arm and, very gently, pressed into the scar opposite her elbow. Hinata prepared for the pain, for the burning, but it never came. Instead, the white chakra, Maya's Life energy flowed into the scar and the mark began to shine a heavenly white around the blackness. The energy flowed into her skin and through her arm in the surrounding area, swirls and ribbons of the beautiful white energy danced along her skin and fluttered into the air, disappearing as fast and as brilliantly as it had come.

Hinata followed up her arm once more and saw that she could not find what she had first tried to focus on. Keeping her arm extended, her finger pointed, she rotated her arm around a bit, trying to see what had happened to it, where it went. It was nowhere to be found. She felt fresh, she felt, not burning, but a warmth as comfortable as anything else.

The scar was gone.

Hinata's jaw lowered slightly as she finally took a moment to take in what_really_ had been happening to her. "The.. The Fallen Angel.." she whispered to herself. It had finally hit her, completely. She _was_ the Angel. This was _her _power, and now she remember to herself the words of the spirit within her, and she began to realize the potential. She realized the responsibility and consequences of her power. This was not a matter of overpowering anybody, manipulating the world around her, or even using this energy for right and wrong. This was a blessing, not for herself, but for those around her. She had been given this power to guide others in their pursuit of good or evil. Her hands, her tender hands, one black, one white, were guides, were blessings! They were second chances to those who needed a change in life, a second chance for those who felt they could change, or for those that should be punished for their wrong doings. She was the overseer of good in the world, and, as the prophecy read, blessed to those whom good favor rests.

She_was_ Judgement.

And, fittingly, Karegosu Maya, the first prominent peace-keeper and freedom fighter from the Great Wars of a century ago, the undisputed master of the summoning technique, and the princess of the reform movements of not just Southern nations, but for changing nations worldwide, now made her vessel within Hyuuga Hinata; a girl who, for so long, needed guidance, who needed reassurance that everything would be okay. She was a girl that longed for a Guardian Angel…

… and a second chance.

Hinata dropped her left arm to her side and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Maya spoke to her once again, the voice whispered, echoed throughout everywhere. "Do what you feel is right.."

"There's still good in him," she replied, mouthing the words to herself as Sakura and Kaelu looked on, trying to figure out what she had said. Hinata felt the warmth of Maya's smile upon her.

'I admire you, child,' Maya gave in to Hinata's reasoning for life. 'In the end, you're just like I was. So tempted to give in to what should be obvious hate, but holding your ground. If in your heart, you feel he should be blessed with a second life, then I can only guide you,' the voice was soothing, sing-songy, and Hinata's eyes brightened. She felt the white chakra from her right hand resonate and glow and she slowly lifted it up in the direction of Sakura and Kaelu. The black energy that had once surrounded them was now overwhelmed by this new, pure matter. The white chakra was warm, and it seemed to energize them right on the spot. As sparks and flares of the chakra touched them, it flowed through them and amazing speed with amazing force, and it felt as though it was bringing them back to life, purifying their bodies, rejuvenating them. This was truly a gift of new life, and together, Sakura and Kaelu embraced it. Soon a ring of white chakra wrapped around them, connecting them through a strand with Hinata. They looked on in awe as Hinata closed her eyes and, accepting her role, smiled warmly.

"Minaya Kaelu," she spoke. Her voice doubled with Maya's. "It has been decided that you are worthy of my blessings," Kaelu looked to be frozen in time, Sakura just as much as they leaned on each other, her hand over his.

"Every creature has good in them, as well as evil, and I have seen the good in you through the words of my friend, my sister, Haruno Sakura. She has seen something in you that I had overlooked through my own temptation, but I love my friend, and I would do anything for her." Sakura smiled at the Angel warmly, knowing her best friend was still in there somewhere.

"She has seen the good in Kaelu, and, therefore, I will bless you with the gift of Second Life." Palm face out, her right hand fired a beam of chakra that connected with Kaelu's heart instantly. His head shot back as his body arched from the impact.

"Kaelu!" Sakura screamed, unsure of what was happening, but as Hinata lifted her arm, up Kaelu went, picked up off the ground by the sheer power of Hinata and the chakra. He felt his body go numb, the amazing feeling of the white chakra flowing madly through him. He felt the burning and the pain disappear. When he opened his eyes and arched forward again, he was surrounded in this infinite white space that he couldn't see beyond. 'Is this,' he thought. 'Is this the true power..'

She floated down to him, her wings flapping once, gloriously in the still air. Her left wing the only contrast in the surrounding, the black overtaken by the purity of the moment. She placed both of her hands gently to his chest, and they began to glow, his skin began to brighten, his body filled with warmth, and the open wound began to emit the white chakra, her energy overtaking him from both the inside and the outside. It was a feeling of absolute power, an absolute cleansing, and when Hinata open her eyes, the bright green glow had fully returned, back with confidence and assurance. This _was_ the right thing to do.

"_Can you feel it?"_

The power shot into Kaelu with incredible force, and he was amazed he wasn't pushed back with the sheer power of it. The white chakra around him was holding him firmly in place, and he felt the rush of infinite purity. The white chakra flowed through his system, through all of his gates and points, through his heart and through his pores. It had consumed him completely, healing his burns and scars, the wound on his shoulder began to heal through this magical process. The burning and stinging had stopped. In fact, he didn't feel anything, he was smothered by the holy chakra and his body was cleansed of the pains and scars of battles and nightmares past. When the chakra emitted from him, rising to his skin and flared from his pores and his chakra points, he felt a new sense of pride, a new sense of life and everything around him seemed brighter, seemed more alive, everything seemed more alive.

He landed onto the ground softly, almost as he had been placed back down. He held out his hands and closed his fists a couple of times, cleching tightly, checking for any pain or soreness. None. He rolled his shoulders and rotated his arms in circles. There was no pain, no tension. He ran his right hand up his chest and to his collarbone, where the wound and the infection had troubled him all week. All he felt.. Was skin. Clean, smooth skin. There was no scar, no blood, no pus. It was how it used to be, how it always was before the incident. It was given a second chance, just like he, as a whole, had been given.

Sakura's eyes stayed locked on him as she looked him up and down, looking for scrapes and scars, looking for burns and scabs, not finding anything of the sort. "Hinata," she whispered, taken aback by what she had just witnessed. He was completely healed, cured in ways even her or even Tsunade's chakra could do. Hinata was really otherworldly at this point. Her power had transcended anything she had even possibly imagined, and it was real. The prophecy was true, it was really true! Hinata could bring life or death to those whom she touched, and the mere thought of that power absolutely amazed Sakura.

"Hinata!" Her trance was interrupted when she saw the man in the red army coat, twenty feet or so away, pull from his pocket a small, deadly weapon, and aim in the direction of the Angel. "Hinata, look out!" But her cry was too late. A loud bang of gun powder, and the weapon fired it's ammo, piercing right through the right arm of the benevolent creature. Hinata let out a shriek and shook her right arm furiously for a moment, the bullet having gone right through her arm, the chakra now furiously working to sterilize and heal the wound before she would be attacked again. Sakura let out a scream from the gunshot and covered her ears, Kaelu put a hand to her shoulder and looked up at Hinata as she got hit. After a brief moment of worry, his eyes shifted to General Takeno who stood poised with his revolver, cocked and ready to fire again. He had watched the whole scenario unfold and he was out of breath, stunned from watching the turn of events. He had grown panicked and angry, and was now alone on this mission. He knew he was trying to defend himself in a battle he simply wasn't going to win.

"Stay back!" He yelled out in fright to the Angel, who now turned to him with the green glow of fury in her eyes. "Don't come any closer to me, you savage demon!" Sakura's eyes now glared in the general's direction. There was no way he'd get away with this. He trembled as he stood, gun still in hand, his finger readied to press the trigger. Hinata, now turned to face him, took a few heavy breaths as the pain from the wound ease away underneath the healing power of her chakra. She clenched her left hand tightly, the black emission now spiraling furiously around and about her arm. Her and Maya agreed on one thing: this power-hungry militia had to go.

As she finished the healing process, she was surprised to see Kaelu step forward in front of her towards the General, his blue eyes once again cold with anger, his heart with discontent, his mind racing with so many thoughts. The general now scowled in his direction and, not before staring down the Angel once again, turned the mouth of the revolver at the Southern Jounin. Sakura's breath shortened as the adrenaline began to pump and race through her body. _He was going to shoot him!_

"Stay away from me, you traitor!" Riu yelled out, his hand shaking as he held the gun. Kaelu's eyes remained locked on the great political figure before him, who was now reduced to shakes and trembles, no longer with pride but instead fear and cowardice. He took a step forward and Takeno's eyes widened once more.

"Didn't you hear me, you ----ing brat?! Stay away before I blow your brains out!" Kaelu stared him down, coldly and deeply. Takeno was now intimidated and alone. In front of him were the young, pink-haired girl, Minaya Kaelu, the Southern Continent's most exceptional ninja, and the Fallen Angel, awakened and ready to pass final judgment upon him. To his right, along the shoreline, Tsunade and Lee stood patiently, letting the events unfold as they should, poised to jump in if necessary to help. Shiro was destroyed and the only bait he had, Gasuki Atsuke had been rescued by the team from Konoha and removed to a safe place.

Riu Takeno was indeed alone, and he did what any overly proud man in his position would do; think unrationally and panic. His index finger began to shake furiously as he neared the trigger, gripping the gun as hard as he could.

Kaelu remained one step ahead of him. Before Takeno could react, Kaelu clasped his hands together and closed his eyes. In a flash of lightning, he was gone from his spot. Takeno now shook furiously as he looked in front of him and saw, up-close, the cold and dangerous eyes that were, for all those years, Minaya Kaelu. His left arm, once extended with revolver in hand, now grabbed the sleeve of Kaelu's shredded shirt, draping from his right. A good distance behind him, out of the corner of his eye, Takeno watched as his revolver fell into the muddy sand with a thud. Kaelu had performed his light-speed replication jutsu, replacing himself with Takeno's prized weapon. Takeno was now unarmed, holding in front of him probably the most dangerous opponent he had ever come across in all his years in the service.

"You," he spoke angrily, with new life, with new energy. This power that now flowed through him was real, it was unbelievable. It was simply, angelic.

"You lied to me. You tried to use me as a weapon, as a tool for your sick battles and your sick plans of domination!" Takeno get go of the jounin as he fell back into the sand. A bolt of lightning struck loudly near the two and the General yelled out in frightened and stumbed backwards in the sand. "You tried to take an innocent human being and turn them into a sick experiment, something you could use for your own evils. You sicken me, Takeno. You ----ing _sicken_ me!" Takeno now shook uncontrollably, his breathing sporadic, his body now frigid in the sand, too petrified in fright to move.

"You hired me for this mission to use my power for your dark purposes. You and your men ruined my life, my childhood, and my future, and after all these years, you sought me out for the power you were once afraid of, well now, **fear it!!"** Kaelu yelled out in fury, the eyes of Riu Takeno widened in shock.

"And now, it's time for me to show you just what my power _should_ be used for!"

He had been blessed with a power that, for once, he used to what he now_knew_ was right, and not what others had suggested was right. This was a second chance fifteen years in the making, and Riu Takeno, once relentless in his military prowess, now stood at the edge of life. He had no more moves to make except for his last breath as the revived, and now changed, _**Gasuki**_ Kaelu now stood over him, ready to deal his final blow.

"Be gone."

A massive thunderbolt came down from the swirling clouds above large enough to completely surround a person, and it connected with Takeno, crashing down upon him with a defeaning crackle followed by a booming tremor that shook the land and the sea. Takeno screamed out his final cry and he was consumed in the boy's new found power, the energy revived in his body, Kaelu was able to execute his attack with an intensity and an ease he never had before. Takeno reached out within the bolt, shrieking away his last words as he was burned alive, reduced to nothing but a charred and horribly disfigured body. He was buried into the sand as the last of the stream of lightning touched down, the sand rising and falling down to earth from the impact, streaming itself along the Earth, and, in the space Riu Takeno once occupied, now lay smoking ashes, the remains of a once-proud, turned corrupt general, blended in with the sands of a new dawn. The tremor came to a stop and the rumbling quickly vanished into the distance. The only remaining sound, once again, were the waves crashing onto shore.

The fight was over.

Tsunade and Lee walked cautiously over to Hinata and Sakura, trying to remain unnoticed as they surveyed the battlefield. Hinata and Sakura's eyes were locked on Kaelu as he stood over the area Takeno once cowered. Sakura exhaled in a big sigh of relief. It was over. Hinata was alive and safe, and the men who came to retrive her had been defeated. Everything was as it needed to be..

..Almost.

Sakura gasped to herself and turned around to the golden haired boy laying behind her in the sands. Hinata followed with the same action. Her wings flapped once as she touched down to the ground, folding her wings gently behind her. Her eyes, now dimmer and warmer, now longed for the lifeless boy in the sand, her one true love.

"Naruto-kun," she stepped slowly towards him. Sakura eyed her carefully, still consumed by her beauty. Tsunade and Lee now stopped where they were and followed Hinata's actions carefully. Kaelu even turned around when he saw Hinata's wings flutter and he now watched, waiting to see what she would do next.

The thoughts of their memories flashed through her mind as she tip-toed towards him. His face, still lifeless and pale, was still beautiful. She longed for his loving, blue eyes, for them to open to her. She wished so much for his smile, his touch, his kiss. _There was still time._

She leaned over his right side, squatting down beside him. Her right wing opened up, the white feathers now cloaked over him, as if to hold him as close as she could. Her right hand, blessed with the living chakra, ran up his arm, caressing him lovingly. A tear ran down her cheek as she tried to smile. She was at peace, next to him once again.

"Naruto-kun," she whispered, keeping her composure, being strong for him. "Since you've come back, you've made me into someone I'm proud of. All this time you were away, I promised myself that I would be stronger, prouder of myself, and unafraid, and it wasn't until you returned that I finally felt I could pursue these dreams. You've given me a new light, my Naruto-kun, a second chance to truly be who I want to be.."

Sakura heard the whole thing, and was now moved to tears. Kaelu approached her from behind, standing over her, putting his hands to her shoulders. She lifting her hands from the sand and held them over his. They both looked on as Hinata continued to talk to their fallen friend, the white chakra cycling around her feet, her magnificent wing draped over him.

"And now, my love," she continued, the voice of Maya carrying her along. "A second chance.. I will now give to you.."

She put her hands to his chest, over his heart, and the white energy formed over her hands and slowly expanded, engulfing the two in the holiest of chakra.

* * *

_"Can you hear me..?"_

_Silence. She approached the small fox quietly, his head resting atop the water in the cage. He was still breathing, but he was on his last breaths. She ran up to the dying creature and put her hand to its head. It let out a deep breath as it tried to lift it's head up to face her. The once-powerful demon could only manage to tilt his head in her direction, his eyes crept open slightly, as he could barely make out the figure standing over him. Though he knew who she was by her voice, she was blurred and completely out of focus._

_"How are you holding up?" She offered a smile. The fox took in a deep breath and replied almost silently, his voice faint._

_"How.. How does it look?"_

_"You'll be alright now, I promise." She took her right hand and placed it over her other on top of its head, the purple chakra released slowly into the demon's body, outlining the chakra system with a faint violet glow as it flowed through the now weakened, fragile summon._

_"I told you it wasn't over.." She smiled as her chakra flowed through his body and his surroundings like a fountain of youth, a utopian energy. The once darkened chamber came to life as white and purple chakra dazzled in all directions. Even the water seemed to glow radiantly in a violet shade._

_"Maya.. How..?"_

_She smiled, standing up from his side, shaking the last bit of flowing chakra from her fingertips. The Kyuubi lifted its head as the chakra had rejuvenated him, and he was astonished by the flow within him. Her own life stream was supporting him, keeping him alive. His mind raced, and he brought back memories from over a hundred years ago…_

_"It's just like when I found you, all those years ago, isn't it? All those memories, it makes me feel so young again." She tiptoed along the water as she enjoyed the cool touch of the water underneath her. It was refreshing and certainly relieving, considering what had just happened in reality._

_"Maya, I'm a monster.." the demon confessed. "You should've just let me die the first time. Why would you save me a second?"_

_"Silly," she squat down again, talking to him as close to eye level as possible. "When we first crossed paths, Kyuu-san, I knew you wanted me to hate you. It was so obvious."_

_"So then.. Why save me?"_

_"I saved you the first time so that you could have a second chance at life. You chose the path that you've followed all this time, and though you ran from me and ran off and did all of those.. Awful things.. You were given the chance to live on."_

_"So… why now?"_

_She put her hand to his head once more. "Because these two deserve that same chance.." She got up once more. She stepped out onto the waters again and swirled around, dancing on the surface. The water spouted from underneath her and danced around her, swirling around in a remarkable show of droplets and chakra, winding around her, flowing in ribbons of chakra before splashing back down onto the surface._

_The Kyuubi lifted his head and shook his head at her, laughing to himself._

_"All these years and you still like to show off with your water dancing."_

_"I can't help it," she giggled. "Life Stream is a jutsu that I created, after all. It's a shame I never **directly**__taught it to anybody. It reminds me of what I had believed in, even when I was alive." She spun around and turned to the Kyuubi, her first summon, her first friend._

_"Life and death.. It's much like love and hate.." she smiled, winking at her friend as she walked towards the exit of the chamber, back to her unfinished business._

_"When you **really** take the time to question and understand them… you realize that.. The closest thing to one is the other…"_

_The fox, strength returning to him ever so slowly could only watch as the only person he ever loved and appreciated, stepped away from him, back into the darkness. He closed his eyes and sighed with content._

_"Glad to have you back…" they said, together._

* * *

He was weightless as he woke up, his eyes opened slowly to a bright white light, just like the one in his dream.

'Am… am I alive…' he thought to himself. He felt himself clutch at his fingers and his toes and he felt for a solid ground that was not there. Something was holding him up. He opened his eyes completely, and things around him began to focus, but, in the white space, only one thing was visible, one person, standing right in front of him. He knew the long, flowing hair, the warm smile and the pure, white skin. Her deep lavender eyes met his as joy completely overtook her face. He felt himself drawn closer to her, though he didn't question what was carrying him closer to her. He simply smiled, his eyes deepening, the life returned to his face.

"Hinata-chan…"

Tsunade and Lee smiled from a distance as the waves crashed behind them and at their feet. Tsunade's smile could warm the whole open ocean and even the powerful Rock Lee was moved to tears.

"This is an ending truly meant for a fairy tale," he sniffled to the Hokage. She closed her eyes and nodded.

"They believed in each other," Tsunade replied, thinking back to the legend of Karegosu Maya and the Kyuubi, and smirked. "They always have.."

Sakura and Kaelu clasped their hands tightly together as they watched. The sun had now dispersed the clouds and shone down upon them. They watched Hinata as her angelic wing cradled Naruto and lifted him towards her. She draped her other wing around them so they were now blanketed in a white aura meant simply for them.

Sakura cried to herself, the tears freely flowing from her face, tears of happiness as she cracked the first true smile she had in days. She gripped Kaelu's hand tighter as they watched the miracle complete itself as Naruto and Hinata's hands met in a moment of eternal and undying love…

And their lips met in the first kiss of their second life…

* * *

**To Be Continued…**

**Chapter Nineteen- Second Life**


	19. Second Life

Disclaimer- Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto and those associated with "Naruto" and its stories, music, art, etc. Total props. Seriously, they're awesome

This is the last chapter of "Risen." I can't believe it's over! This is my first ever fanfiction, and I can't believe it turned out the way it did. Thank you to all of my readers who stuck with me through to the very end, it means so much to me that people enjoy what I bring in regards to a story, and I hope to keep hearing from everyone in my future works. Your support has been immeasurable and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

Without further ado, Chapter Nineteen of Risen. Reviews are always appreciated and, as always, enjoy!

Skye Parlot.

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen- A Second Life**

"Good morning, handsome," she smiled warmly, caressing his cheek.

Naruto awoke to Hyuuga Hinata, his true love, sitting by his hospital bedside at around four in the afternoon, and he wasn't by any means complaining. Her presence was all he needed to start the day. She was back by his side, and that's all he wanted. That was all he needed.

The clouds from the morning were now completely gone and the village was covered by beautiful, blue skies. The mood of the village had lightened as quickly as the summer sky. News had traveled quickly through the village that Hinata had been rescued and the spy was captured and under custody. Tsunade actually had delivered the message herself as she had gone around most of the village, proclaiming the success of the mission and the end of the lockdown for Konoha, bringing young Atsuke with her.

Lee had gone with Hinata to the emergency clinic to drop off Uzumaki Naruto, and he had paced about the floor of the clinic, waiting not as patiently as Hinata, for Naruto to awaken. Though Naruto's wounds and burns had been healed through the Life Stream jutsu, he was placed, under Tsunade's orders, under precautionary care, just to be sure all was well, which it certainly was. Naruto yawned and stretched his arms out fiercely, growling out loud. Hinata blushed at the sight of him; it was too cute. He blinked a few times and, rubbing his eyes, realized where he was. He saw Lee nod and wave in the doorway.

"Hey, Hinata-chan.. Whe..where… what am I doing here? Actually, what are_you _doing here? What happened?" He looked perplexed, trying to piece together events now from what happened earlier in the day. "Where's Kaelu?"

Hinata took his hand. "The mission was a success, Naruto, let me explain." She motioned for Lee to come in to help with the story, since she wouldn't be able to do it herself. She explained the fight with Kaelu and the tragic ending of it. Naruto was drawn into the descriptions and the details of the fight, and suddenly very confused by the end of it.

"Wait.. What happened to me?"

"We had lost you for a while, Naruto-kun.." she said solemnly. "Then, something amazing happened!"

"Hinata transformed into this beautiful beautiful Angel, Naruto!" Lee exclaimed, exaggeration her beauty because he knew Naruto would appreciate it, even though Naruto believed that nothing that beautiful about Hinata could be anything but the truth. "She helped get rid of the evil-doers, and even Kaelu helped! Hinata saved both of you, Naruto! She actually brought you back to life with her unbelievable chakra!"

"Is that.." Naruto gazed into his lover's eyes, and she was blushing all the more, now. "Is that true, Hinata?" She nodded slowly, trying her hardest not to hide her face in her hands.

"I.. I wish you c-could've seen me, Naruto-kun."

"I did, Hinata, and I have seen you like that before. In a dream, once."

Her eyes widened. "In a dream?"

"Yeah," he answered. "The day we had lost you.. In my nap, I had a dream of seeing you and seeing you become that Angel, Hinata. You were magnificent," his words touched her heart as seeing squeezed his hand. "You were absolutely gorgeous."

"Th-… thank you, Naruto-kun." She smiled and brushed her fingers through his hair lightly.

"So.. What am I doing here? Did I get hurt?"

"You're under preliminary care, Naruto," she started. "When you were revived, I was able to cure your injuries and your wounds, but Tsunade ordered that you be brought here, just in case."

Naruto nodded in approval. "Thanks, Hinata," he smiled, receiving one from her in return. "So," his smile faded away momentarily. "Where's Kaelu?"

"He voluntarily went with Sakura and Tsunade back to headquarters and is under ANBU custody. I know Sakura stayed with him, though, so I'm sure he's not up to anything."

"And he.. Helped?"

"Yeah, Naruto. You should've seen him! Once Hinata revived him, he shot this lightning bolt like, 'Pow! Pow!' and it hit the bad guy like 'Boom!' and it had destroyed him with one strike, it was amazing!"

Naruto frowned to himself. "Amazing, huh?" He was slightly jealous of Kaelu's abilities. All of these years, he had struggled and worked so hard for these abilities, and it seemed as though Kaelu had acquired this talent at a young age and was able to use it so simply. Hinata immediately squeezed his hand again.

"Don't worry about it, Naruto-kun. Kaelu's not the same person he once was, I have faith in that." She went on to explain his background, from what he had confessed on the way back to the village. She explained to Naruto what happened with him and his family, his exile, and all of his years being used and abused as a mere tool and weapon for others' gains. Lee added that meeting Sakura and then the reunion with his remaining family helped change him for the better.

Naruto nodded and closed his eyes, still not smiling, but not too angry or upset either. "I can understand that," he said, recalling his childhood. "To not have anybody, to not know any purpose in life, I know that feeling. I've been down that road." Hinata nodded, not sure how to reply to his statement. Lee nodded his head in agreement. "I may not be able to forgive what he's done to the village, and I don't ever expect to, but I can put it behind me and, if he really is a changing person, I can respect him for that."

Hinata offered a smile, "He also said that Neji's actions influenced him as well."

"Neji," Naruto said quietly, invoking silence in the entire room. All three of these teenagers were directly linked with the late hero in one way or another, and this moment was commemorating him on his actions, and on everything he had done for everybody.

"When is the service?" Lee asked quietly.

"Tomorrow at dawn," Hinata nodded in reply, her smile now gone as well. "Usually Hyuuga services aren't public, but this one, my father had made an exception. He felt that Neji is deserving of this honor, he died for us."

"For all of us," Naruto added, trying to somewhat lighten the tension. "I'll be there, don't you worry."

"Everybody will," Lee added. "He's a hero to this village and will be paid the highest respect of one!" Hinata offered Lee a smile as he saluted her in honor of his fallen brother.

"Hey, Lee," Hinata imposed. "Do you think you could excuse me and Naruto for a few moments? I really need to tell him some.. private.. things.."

"Hmm? Oh, no problem, Hinata-san." Lee nodded and turned towards the door slowly, smiling at the two lovebirds. "Naruto-kun!" Naruto's eyes met the solid black eyes of his rival. "Best to you, my friend. Hope you can actually take time and enjoy your return to Konoha."

"Thanks," Naruto laughed. "I'll see you around, of course." They nodded to each other respectively and Lee stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind them. There was a brief silence in the air until they heard the door click shut, at which Hinata broke the ice, simply, by throwing herself across Naruto's chest, sobbing fiercely into his t-shirt. Naruto was taken aback by her actions and proceeded to very carefully brush his hand through her hair. He had never really had experience with comforting a girlfriend before, let alone a girl sobbing over him while he lay in a hospital bed. There was something new every day, it seemed.

"Sweetheart," he said calmly, using that sweet word confidently. "What's the matter?"

"I.." she tried to explain her crying through her sobs, but her gasps came so heavily, it was proving rather difficult. "I thought I had lost you!" She clenched fistfuls of his t-shirt in her hands, just wanting to hold onto him. "I was so scared you were gone, I didn't know.." she sniffled, wiping her tears into his shirt. "I didn't know what I would do without you, Naruto-kun! I.." she tried her best to look up at him. She moved the dark, heavy bangs from her face so she could look into his eyes. When she did, she saw everything she needed to see. His eyes, his face, the warmth she felt simply by him looking at her. Her sobbing calmed down and she felt this tranquility that only Naruto could give her. "I love you so much, Naruto, and.. When I felt hopeless.. When I felt that there was nothing I could do.. That's when I realized.."

"Realized what?" Naruto asked, twirling his finger through her hair.

"That's when I realized that I _could_ do something. That I was supposed to do something all along, Naruto-kun. When you returned home, I felt a new life in me, honey. A life that I thought I had lost years ago, when you left. I thought I had lost myself under all of the pressure of the clan, under all of the doubt from my father and my teacher, and under the scrutiny of the village, of being "second best" to.. To a hero.. And.." she picked herself up from his chest and crawl up him so that her face was close to his, their foreheads touching gently.

"You brought me back to life, Naruto-kun. Just seeing you again, just hearing you again.. You meant everything to me, and you still do, and I could never repay you for everything you've done. You do all of these amazing things for me, you make me always feel so happy, and it's like.." she cracked a smile as she put her hand to his cheek. "It's like you don't even try, Naruto-kun. You're just so sweet, and, well.. I guess.. What happened back there was.. Was my way of repaying you for my new life.. That I could give you another chance at life, so that… maybe, Naruto-kun… this life, this second life, we can start fresh… and.." the blushing took over and she gathered the courage to finish her confession.

"We can start this second life.. Together."

Naruto blushed and turned away for a moment, trying to gather words to say to her: words that he hoped could at least come close to the poetry that had just streamed from her lips. Her words had touched him so dearly, just like they always have. The more he heard her speak, the more beautiful her lyrics sounded, the more he had loved her! A heartfelt rush came over him and just couldn't hold it in any longer. She was his, and he wanted to prove to her that she was. He took his hand and placed it gently to her chin and offered her his goofy smile, the one she had fallen so badly for.

"I.. I try really hard, actually," was all he could muster as he looked away, blushing. Hinata let out a soft giggle as she caressed his cheek.

"You're so cute, Naruto-kun."

He tilted her lips closer to his, smirking, closing his eyes, and whispering as he exhaled.

"Yeah.. You are."

The kiss was as heated as summer, itself.

* * *

She parted her lips from his own, gently. Passion wasn't easy to come by at this time, but they had to make due given the situation. He was, after all, a prisoner, and Haruno Sakura, hormones in full swing, desperately held onto him as much as she could. The air was damp and cold, as was the ground she kneeled on. The stone floors and walls of the prison were unforgiving and the punishment and state of her romance brought her to near tears. She didn't want to cry in front of him but she was sobbing on the inside as Gasuki Kaelu sat squatting along the brown stone wall, hands extended high over his head, cuffed and chained to the wall, and Sakura, right by his side, kept her hand to his cheek in solace.

"I just keep wishing it didn't have to be this way," she led her hand up his arm and to his wrist where the cuffs were nailed into the wall.

"It has to be, Sakura-chan." Kaelu tried to assure her. "I'm guilty of those crimes, I have to be honorable and pay the penalty. Besides, there's no point in my trying to escape." He looked up to his right arm, opposite his elbow, where a bandaid and cotton was wound around his arm, focused on his vein. "The injection was to make sure I don't use my jutsu to escape. Tsunade administered the injection herself."

Sakura frowned. She could understand how or why her sensei had no trust in him, even though she still had some trust for the boy. Injecting liquid metal into his system would certainly be a way to prevent his raiton use, especially considering the horrors of the infection he had just lived through the previous week.

"So what's the verdict then?"

"I'll be called to Tsunade's chambers in the evening with my verdict." Kaelu said, accepting the extent of what it might be. "I'm.. I'm ready for whatever it is."

"You don't.." Sakura's eyes filled with worry. "You don't think she'd.."

"I don't know, Sakura-chan." He lowered his head. _That_ was actually what he was expecting. He didn't believe Tsunade would be lenient to him, even given his romance with her student. He waited patiently, preparing himself for those frigid words. The statement that he, Gasuki Kaelu, would be sentenced to death.

"If.." he muttered into his new shirt. "If it comes to that.. Don't.. don't hold yourself back because of me." She tilted his chin up and their eyes met once more, the mix of green and blue blended together in the dim of the room, his eyes reflecting into hers and vice versa and she kept her lips mere inches from his. "This summer will go with me as one of the most powerful times of my life, Sakura-chan.. I learned so much about myself and about others.. And about just life in general." He leaned forward and planted a kiss upon her cheek. "And there's so much out there for you, Sakura-chan, for you to still learn, for you to experience. I love you, Sakura, I can't really say that about anyone else in my life, well, except for my brother, but.."

Her eyes warmed up instantly! Did he really love her?

"I can't," he turned away briefly. "I can't, in good conscience, let you be miserable like this, especially if something were to happen to me. Such is the way of the ninja, you know this yourself.

She nodded, putting both of her hands to his face, doing well to hide the tears in her eyes. She knew what he had meant, but it was easier said than done. He had done so much for her this past week, just being by her side, just making her feel so alive, so important. No guy had ever really done that before, no guy had ever _truly_ touched her heart like he did. He had a way with words sometimes that she couldn't help but admire. He still had a romantic innocence to him that she felt was cuter than anything! She was head over feels for this.. For this stranger! She knew he was a stranger, and yet, she was drawn to him..

..and yet, she knew she shouldn't and couldn't be.

She embraced him in one more kiss, locking lips with the intensity and passion she had always desired and fantasized about. She didn't care about the setting or the situation anymore, she didn't worry about the future, whether it was with him or not, and she didn't worry about her past, and.. And _him_… and whether she actually would see _him_ again.. She didn't care. She didn't care what she would say to him, or even what he'd think.

This was about now, and her lips, her tongue, her eyes were all the proof of that.

When they parted again, Sakura could no longer hold it in as she got both of her arms around him and she rested her head onto his shoulder, where it no longer hurt him to hold her there.. Where he always wanted her to be. They held onto each other, with dry tears, until the time came for his jurisdiction.

Time moved so swiftly, it seemed as Tsunade's voice carried over to them as they embraced in the prison cell..

"Kaelu of the southern continent, born into the Gasuki family, son of southern radicalist and Konohakagure alumni Gasuki Oroyo, graduate of the raiton element, you are found of spying and infiltrating the village of the Hidden Leaf using your father's name, betraying the trust of myself and my subordinates, and murdering one, Hyuuga Neji for the purpose of civil warfare in benefit of your home country of Kyoko. Do you deny it?"

Kaelu, hands cuffed in front of him, hands at each of his shoulders by two long-time members of the ANBU forces, kept his head up, looking sincerely into the eyes of his prosecutor. "I do not deny it, ma'am, I plead guilty to the charges."

"You, Gasuki Kaelu of Kyoko, have also assaulted, in ambush, these acquaintances in combat, severely injuring three, including delivering a painful blow that may have potentially ended the career of one of our most venerable fighters in Hatake Kakashi." Her voice grew more angry. "Do you deny it?"

Sakura, who stood in the corner of the room for these hearings, gasped softly to herself. Was Kakashi-sensei really hurt _that_ bad? She couldn't believe that these injuries may lead to him not being a ninja any longer. She looked over to Kaelu, who seemed, himself, pained to hear of that news and pained to recollect all of these occurances. Nevertheless, he kept his guard and his head up and, honorably, kept the truth to mouth.

"I do not deny it."

"Now," Tsunade continued with a much lighter tone of voice. "You, Gasuki Kaelu, assaulted one, Hyuuga Hinata, and kidnapped her from the village to present to your superiors as the one fitting the prophecy of the Fallen Angel."

"That is correct."

"Now, Kaelu." She stood up from her desk and stepped out, tracing her fingers along the edge of the table as she moved. "Before the attack on Hyuuga Hinata, you warned to Haruno Sakura, a girl you've admitted to having a physical and romantic relationship with in the past week, that you were to carry out a plan different than the mission assigned to you, that you promised to her things would be alright as long as you carried out your altered mission. Is that correct"

"Yes, it is."

Tsunade peered at him with cold eyes. "And what was that mission?"

"To preserve the life of my family and new-found friends, and return Hinata safely to the Hidden Leaf."

"You know your rendezvous would be meeting you ashore three days from the incident."

"Yes."

"And you brought along your partner, and brother, Gasuki Atsuke with you, is that correct."

Kaelu nodded firmly, unwaivered by Tsunade's harsh tone. "I do not deny my actions, Lady Tsunade. I brought Hinata with me as lure for my superiors with full intent of returning her safely to the village."

"You knew the risks you were taking then, such as the result of Uzumaki Naruto pressing an attack on your younger brother which brought about your clash with my subordinate."

"I understand, Hokage-sama. I had no intention to fight Naruto, but with attacks delivered upon my brother and myself, I was forced to defend in order to carry out my plan." Tsunade walked up to her, with her intimidating stare and her fists clenched tightly together.

"You are awake that without the blessings of the Fallen angel, Uzumaki Naruto would still be dead!" Her glare shifted over to her student. "Had it not been for the heart of my pupil, you would most likely be as well!" Sakura cowered to herself in the corner. Kaelu refused to back down.

"Do_not_ bring Sakura-chan into my hearing. She has done nothing wrong and should not be looked down upon for her actions! I defended myself and my brother, and I had no intent on killing Uzumaki Naruto, though I will take responsibility in my attacks. Did I not stick to my plan? Did I not let my two employers, General Riu Takeno and Kagetsu Shiro, perish? Did I _not_ destroy one of them myself with the power the angel herself, Hyuuga Hinata, blessed me with?"

Tsunade stared deep into him as he returned the favor to the powerful figure of Konoha.

"I know my actions were wrong, Hokage-sama, and if you wish me dead, then wave your hand and do it!" Sakura put her hands to her mouth. She knew what Tsunade-sensei was capable of, and she feared the worst. She feared Tsunade will have Kaelu-kun executed before her very eyes!

"Gasuki Kaelu," she pronounced. "You are guilty of spy infiltration, murder and manslaughter for intended warfare. Under Konoha code set down by the elders and previous leaders of this great village, it should be seen that you are sentenced to death!" She pounded down her fist hard into her table, the same spot she had in front of Sakura a few days before.

"**However,**" she paused a moment as Sakura now looked up to her sensei with hope, all eyes in the room on the Fifth Hokage. "Under the threat of war, and the conspired plan of one, Kagetsu Shiro, to take custody of the Fallen Angel and convert its power to use for militia and warfare, you stepped up from the ensuing guilt and pressures of your inevitable hearings and jurisdictions, and did the right thing. You apprehended General Riu Takeno and helped to bring this taxing mission to halt. As much as I can understand the abuse and pressure you were under during your life and your travels in the Southern Continent, I cannot excuse the foul deeds you committed to us and the rest of the villagers of Konoha."

"Then," Sakura whispered from the back of the room, "What does this mean, sensei?" Kaelu's eyes warmed up as they met Sakura's and they exchanged a quick, caring glance.

"As Taregosu Maya once said during her address to the underground radical movement, right before her death, 'There is good in everyone and everything.' Under the circumstances of the events of this past week, I feel it is appropriate that we honor her words, as her influence is strong and present, even in our world, in our village, today. Gasuki Kaelu's life, acknowledged under the Golden Rule of our Earth, will be spared from death."

A smile escaped Sakura's lips as her eyes brightened. Kaelu's eyes did the same as he could not help but crack a very grateful, very relieved smile from the village's Fifth Hokage.

"Nonetheless, word will reach the South, undoubtedly to the General's brother, Riu Uro, of the death of Takeno and his second-hand man, Kagetsu Shiro, and the risk of war is still imminent. Because of this, the punishment of Gasuki Kaelu will not go unnoticed. Kaelu!"

"Yes, Hokage-sama?"

"It is your duty to return with Tsuukan to the ports of Kyoko to deliver the news. Until the threat of war is vanquished and the new hand at power is brought to peaceful terms with the northern governments, we cannot allow for issues to arise that may jeopardize the already fragile relationship bound across the equator. Until this peace is finally brought to rest after a century of grudging, you, Gasuki Kaelu, will be exiled from Konohagakure until these agreements are reached!"

Sakura's eyes began to tear and Kaelu's smile quickly vanished as his head dropped, his eyes now at the ground, now feeling the urge to cry.

"You will be asked to leave the village at sunset tomorrow, is that clear?"

"Yes.. Hokage-sama, it's clear." She nodded her head in acceptance.

"I'm sorry, Kaelu, but as leader of this village, I must meet the safety precautions of not only _my_ people but of the neighboring villages and it is part of my duty to keep peace throughout all the neighboring nations, and with threat of war at our hands once again, we must work together to put an end to any threats before they get off the ground. If you wish to deliver these messages to your home, that's up to you. But know that as long as the tension remains between the two powers, between ninja and militia, you can never return."

He nodded, his dark bangs covering his defeated expression. Sakura took a step towards him, wanting to be by his side.

"That is all I have to say on this matter, you are dismissed. Guards."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama!" The two said in unison.

"The cuffs are not necessary, though I wish for him to return to his chamber. Make sure he's taken care of." The guards saluted her and walked out with Kaelu, still cuffed, out of her chambers. Sakura looked at Tsunade rather coldly, then went to follow her lover before Tsunade interjected.

"Sakura! Please stay here for a moment. I wish to speak with you alone."

Sakura's eyes met her teacher's in a stunned, awkward silence that couldn't be rationalized. Sakura was crushed, and the only person to comfort her, the sensei that she always had felt so comfortable around, had just exiled Kaelu for actions against the village and its people, and understandably so. Still, it hurt, a lot, and she wasn't sure if Tsunade, who had delivered the sentencing herself, could reason her out of her crushed dreams. Dreams of him..

Sakura slowly stepped up to her master's desk quietly, hands by her sides, her lip bitten, quivering. Her breathing was a little heavy, and Tsunade knew she was doing her best not to sob openly. Tsunade sighed and got up from her seat. She reached over the desk and lifted her pupil's chin, looking deep into her eyes.

"I did what had to be done. Please understand that it may not be the best for you, but it's for the best of the entire village." A tear escaped Sakura's eye and Tsunade quickly wiped it away. "We lost two soldiers, one killed, the other demoralized and removed from duties. Almost three, Sakura." She took a moment to wipe away another tear. Sakura was now openly shaking. Tsunade walked around from behind the desk and leaned against it in front of Sakura, hands on each of her shoulders.

"I almost lost you, too, sweetie," Sakura noticed the tears in Tsunade's eyes. "You're like the daughter I've never had, Sakura, and when we had retrieved you, I was crying just as you are. I thought I had lost you forever."

"Sensei.."

Tsunade embraced her pupil tightly, and Sakura threw her arms around her teacher in understanding. Sensei was like a second mother to her, she was a mother to _all_ of the new generation of ninja, and she had to do what any good mother would do; protect her family and ensure peace.

"You know I'm not out to get you, Sakura, and this wasn't the easiest decision for me, please understand that," she sniffled between her words. "But this had to be done. I hope as much as you do that this sends a message to the people down there, that we, as two governments, North and South, can work something out, so that there will be peace.."

"So that," Sakura brushed her tears away with her forearm. "So that, maybe one day, he can return.." she looked up to her teacher. Tsunade understood her, and she cracked a smile of relief, of warmth and love as she embraced her mentor.

"He'll be back." Tsunade dried her tears and put her hands to the back of Sakura's head, holding her like she would her own child, kissing her forehead.

"Love.. Has awoken him."

* * *

The bells tolled one by one until eight were sounded as the sun first peered over the horizon and into sight. In the midst of the Hyuuga community, hundreds stood, heads lowered, in memoriam and in prayer. At the front of the congregation, a white coffin, closed shut with a purple ribbon wrapped across it, lay in the center of the main complex. On top of it was a bouquet of various plants and flowers donated by the many villagers and, next to it, a wreath with Neji's picture in it; a picture of him hugging Hinata on her fifteenth birthday. On the wreath, a white ribbon with "Hero," written in green, script lettering. Standing in front of the coffin, on one knee, leading the ceremony, Hyuuga Hiashi silently prayed. To his left, Hyuuga Hinata, and to his right, Hyuuga Hanabi, both on one knee, both silently in prayer, both quietly with tears in their eyes.

"Before us," bellowed Hiashi "lies a hero, not just in the honor of the Hyuuga community, but a hero to our precious village. Hyuuga Neji had changed so much over the years, stepping out from the shadows of the branch family's pressures and reputation, and blossomed into a warrior proud of his home and proud to be a Hyuuga, regardless of family. His father, I'm sure, could not be any more proud of him and his contributions to the world, as I am. Neji was truly my son." Hiashi stood up and took a moment, blinked a couple of tears back, and continued.

"Today, we salute and honor a fallen hero, and a risen angel, and we will take with us his memories, as he has taken with him. I'm sure that, even right now, he is smiling down upon.." He took a second and push through the rest of the sentence confidently. "All of us." Hiashi took the white rose from his first daughter, Hyuuga Hinata, and placed it on the casket. "Today, my son, we do not mourn you, but take pride in everything you've done for us, and we are proud to salute you as a hero to the Hidden Leaf Village. Today is a day for remembering Hyuuga Neji, a hero to Konoha, and, in my heart, one of the Hyuuga house's greatest, main or branch. Together, we remember."

"We remember," arose from the crowds of people.

One by one, those in attendance placed a white rose upon his resting place. First were Hinata and Hanabi, followed by the members of the Hyuuga family. Then Naruto and Sakura went up, hand in hand, tears in their eyes, followed by Tenten and Rock Lee, also hand in hand as they knelt before their fallen friend, spoke their final words of endearment, and offered their roses to their fallen brother.

Once everybody had placed their rose on the casket, from the back of the crowds, a lone figure stepped forward. Everyone's eyes moved with him as he, dressed in black from his shirt and cape all the way down to the pants and shoes he wore, approached the casket and the leader of the Hyuuga community. On the right sleeve of his shirt, a patch was sown on with the green symbol of the Hyuuga branch family, lined and interlocked with a purple ribbon with the kanji for "hero" on it. He kept his head low until he approached Hyuuga Hiashi, when he raised his eyes to the powerful figure in front of him, and, with his bright blue eyes on Hiashi's, he spoke softly.

"I wish to pay my respects."

Hiashi nodded slowly and put a hand to the Kaelu's shoulder as he proceeded further. Kaelu touched the edge of the casket with his hand, placing his white rose gently with the others. A tear escaped Kaelu's cheek, and Sakura noticed immediately. He was.. Crying…

"When we fought," he took a moment to gather his words. "You told me to.." he coughed back some tears. "You told me to become who I truly want.. You told me to live my own life, and at that time, I was still so very confused, still very unsure of who I was…"

Everyone listened in as Kaelu's confession touched the hearts of many.

"Your words touched me, Neji, and I've carried those, and will carry your words the rest of my life. I vow to you, to your memory, I will take your words and lead them in the good graces that you had practiced with your friends, your family, and the village you swore to protect." He got onto one knee and said a quick prayer. When he rose to his feet, he whispered the words that only began to scratch the surface of how influential Neji really was.

"To a hero…"

* * *

The sun was disappearing down the dirt trail to the west. Sakura stood at the edge of the village, waiting patiently, alone, as the darkness carried into town from the East, twilight soon upon her. She waited for _him_. She held in her hands a red rose and a picture of herself, a final goodbye.

The night was still, the skies calm and cloudless, the breeze warm and gentle. It was a perfect summer evening. She turned to face the dirt road outside of town momentarily, taking in the scenery of the trees and the red-orange sky the sun trailed. She took a deep breath, taking in the beautiful summer air, and as she exhaled, she heard the quiet footsteps near her. She turned back to the village, and there he was, bag in hand, dressed in a green t-shirt and black pants that went down to his shins. He truly was handsome.

"Going on vacation?" She trying to smile.

"Yeah," he replied. "Tsunade told me to take my time, you know, but I can't be on vacation forever."

"Oh?" She stepped closer to him and handed him the rose quietly. He put the picture in his pocket and, Instead of taking the rose, he took her hands, holding the rose between them.

"Yeah, I can't be on vacation forever. Otherwise, I could never come home." He smiled. She smiled back and caressed the top of his hand with her thumb.

"Well, let's hope that's not too far away. Where's Atsuke?"

"He's staying here," he explained. "I talked to Tsunade a little while ago, and I had one last request for him. I'm really thankful she accepted."

"Me too, I'm sure she'll begin training him herself, knowing her." They shared an uneasy laugh. Kaelu looked out to the road, and saw the sun setting, reminding him of what was _really_ happening.

"Sakura," he whispered. "I.. I know I probably don't need to tell you again. I mean, I'm sure you already know, but.. I.."

Her eyes deepened, her beautiful green eyes lit up the oncoming night shades.

"I'll never forget you, Sakura. You'll always be in my heart."

She put a hand to his cheek, her eyes watering. "You'll always be in mine, Kaelu-kun." His hand touched her cheek and, in unison, they leaned in towards each other, closing their eyes, and embracing the final kiss in that gorgeous summer evening. Time seemed to slow down as they stayed unmoving for quite some time. They took in each other's touch, each other's scent, each other's love. They_knew._ This _had_ to be true love.

They broke the kiss quietly and looked once more into each other's eyes. With this moment, the sun finally disappeared below the horizon, and the town bell rang loudly, signaling the sunset and that nightfall had taken over the village.

"Well.." he shrugged, adjusting the strap on his bag on his shoulder. "I guess this is good-bye," he tried to find better words than that, but just couldn't.

"No, it's not, Kaelu," she leaned in and gave him one more kiss before offering him the warmest of smiles. "It's 'see you soon.'" Kaelu smiled and leaned in, kissing her forehead, and then, when she playfully pointed to her lips one more time, he laughed softly and planted another, deep kiss onto her lips. She blushed and giggled like a school girl as he brushed her hair behind her ear one last time.

"Don't ever forget me," his hands traced down her cheek, down her chin, where she met him with her own fingers. He took a couple of steps out down the road, and stopped when only their fingertips touched. Sakura smiled with tears in her eyes.

"I never could.." She smiled and, after wiping away her tears, waved. Kaelu nodded.

"Tell Atsuke.. That I love him very much, and that I promise I'll see him soon."

Sakura nodded.

"And I love you, Sakura-chan." He let go of her fingers and walked towards his destination, alone in the summer night.

"I love you.." She watched, clutching her hands at her heart and he disappeared out of sight, down the road and back to the shores of the South, back home, to his future.

And hopefully, she thought as she turned to go back home, _their_ future.

She had only taken a few steps when she looked up and, along the corner of one of the first houses, Naruto and Hinata had waited for her, hand in hand. Sakura looked at them surprised, then broke out in a smile as she, once again, let the tears flow from her eyes.

"We're always behind you, Sakura." Hinata spoke softly, her smile as meaningful as ever. Sakura's eyes brightened as she ran up to her closest friends and embraced them in a hug that only the three of them could bond in.. a friendship that could never be broken…

* * *

"Naruto-kun!! Come on, you're late!"

"I'm coming, Hinata, I'm coming!" She heard Naruto fumble with the door and curse to himself as he stumbled down the stairs as fast as he could. A cool July breeze filled the air. Naruto opened the door, still struggling to put on his spring jacket. He was never late for a lunch date, unless over course, he over slept, which happened to be the case today.

"Sorry, Hinata, see, I woke up late and… and…" he got sidetracked with he looked into his girlfriend's face and saw something.. Very different. Her hair was no longer long and flowing but, rather, short and layered, barely falling past her chin. It brought out her eyes more as she smiled at him.

"Good morning, sleepy-head." She giggled and blushed as Naruto's jaw dropped.

"Hinata, you look… you… you look gorgeous! I love it!" Naruto lightly touched her hair and brushed through it with ease. "You got this done this morning, it looks amazing, I love short hair!"

"I'm.. I'm glad you do," she laughed to herself. 'Thanks, Sakura,' she thought. "Are you ready for lunch today? It's my turn to pay, you know."

"Oh, no you're not!" Naruto insisted. "You're not paying for anything! I just got paid for the mission I ran last week and I'm treating!"

"Uzumaki Naruto, stop it!" She pushed him lightly, instigation a pushing battle as they walked down the road. The game, of course, ended when Hinata decided enough was enough and she resorted to kissing him quietly on his cheek.

"Fine, fine," Naruto retorted. "But just this once!" She smiled to herself. He was too cute.

As they walked around town before heading to lunch, they ran into Sakura outside of Tsunade's office. She flagged them down instantly and ran up to them.

"Her guys," she said, slightly out of breath. "Enjoying your day off?"

"Yeah, lucky us," Naruto laughed. "How is it being back to work, considering you've had a couple weeks off?"

"Ugh, routing, I suppose." Sakura answered honestly. "But I feel great, and I'm glad to be back at work. I missed doing all these things, even if some of them are just running errands for Tsunade-sama," she laughed, brushing her hair back behind her ear, the small ring on her pinky visible to both Naruto and Hinata.

"Sakura!" Hinata exclaimed. "Where did you get that?!"

"Atsuke gave it to me," Sakura explained. "Kaelu told him to give it to me after he left. Kind of a surprise, I guess. He might've been too embarrassed to give it to me himself," she blushed. It was a small, silver ring, nothing fancy, but silver nonetheless.

"Does it say anything on it?" Naruto asked, inspecting it. Sakura giggled and took it off, holding it down, showing the couple the inside, reflected in the sun.

"The inscription on the inside of the ring says, 'I promise.' Isn't it just the sweetest thing?"

Hinata squealed, "That is sooo cute, Sakura! Aww!" The two girls squealed while Naruto just shook his head and smirked to himself.

"It's been two weeks since he's been gone," Sakura said, "But, I guess, in a way, this ring tells me that he's still here, and that he'll be back, and, who knows, maybe one day, he will be.. Maybe for good." Naruto and Hinata nodded in agreement. They were so happy to see the smile on Sakura's face bright as it had always been. "Well, goodness, I still have so much I need to do, and I don't want to keep you guys from your lunch, so I'll let you go. Maybe we can all hang out later after I get out of work. I know Ino and Chouji are free, maybe we can do a group thing!"

"Sounds good, Sakura, drop by my house later, alright?" Naruto insisted. "We'll plan something then. Oh, did you guys hear about Kakashi-sensei?"

Naruto and Hinata shook his head.

"He's going through with his therapy, and the medical team says he's doing a fantastic job! Within a couple of months, he should be able to train and eventually go on missions again! He's going to be okay!"

A smile took over Naruto's face. That was the best news he had heard in quite some time. "Thank Goodness," he said out loud. "I was really worried. I'll have to go visit him later, I haven't really taken the time to see him and when I've tried, he hasn't been around."

"Go visit him, I'm sure he'd appreciate the company," Sakura added. "I'm just glad to know he'll be able to keep doing what he loves to do. I don't want to think of what he'd be like if he had to give it up."

Naruto shook his head. "Me either."

"Alright then, you two stay out of trouble," they all laughed as Sakura turned and made her way back into the office for her next assignment. "See you guys later!"

"Bye!" Naruto and Hinata waved in unison. Naruto turned to his girl with a smile on his face.

"She totally loves him," he smirked. Hinata giggled and leaned in closer.

"I know the feeling," she admitted as her lips met Naruto's in a brief moment of bliss.

* * *

Atsuke watered the last of the plants in the garden. Exhausted, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and sat back on his bottom. He admired his work in the garden, and reached for his mug, taking a sip of tea slowly. It was a beautiful day and he couldn't wait to get down to the training grounds to train with Iruka-sensei. He pulled a kunai from his pouch and just stared at it in awe, smiling. He looked up and saw, in the bright white clouds above, Oroyo and Aidon, shoulder to shoulder, smiling at him. As he got up with his glass in one hand and watering pail in the other hand, he swore he felt Aidon's huge hand pat his back gently. He imagined his words echo through the air.

'That's my boy…' Atsuke smiled to himself. He knew they were watching over him, and he looked back towards the back door, and into the house. 'Big brother,' he smiled, whispering to himself. 'We did it, Ka-san. We did it.' He took a step towards the house and paused a moment before taking the time to speak something into the air, hoping so much that would carry the thousands of miles it needed to 'I miss you, big brother. Come home soon.' He smiled and ran back into the house, proudly announcing his good work in the garden.

"Mooom! I'm done with the plants!!"

* * *

"Kaelu-sama!" A voice from the doorway boomed. "We need your attendance at the docks. Our first import from the Northern Continent has arrived, and the representative wishes to speak to you."

"Right away, Uro. Tell them I'll be there right behind you." Kaelu got up from his desk and stretched his arms. He took off his military coat and shrugged his shoulders. "What have I gotten myself into," he laughed to himself as he grabbed his black jacket from the coat rack. "I should've let Uro keep this position, but if his heart really wasn't in it, I can't blame him." He zippered up his coat and put his hand to the door "I guess, though, if you really want to accomplish something, you have to do it yourself."

Before he closed the door behind him, he stopped and looked back into the room once again.

"General Gasuki, please hurry sir!"

"One second, please!"

He stepped back into the room and, on the far wall, was his only picture, framed and kept in perfect condition, on the wall.

_"I promise," he whispered to the photo of the beauty, and he gently kissed it._

_Thousands of miles away, her kiss met his gift with the love between them, still shared._

_And, with hands and lips locked, Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata professed their love._

_The four of them, eyes closed, eyes to the future…_

* * *

_...The End... _


	20. A Letter to My Readers

_**Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto. A special thanks to him as well..**_

* * *

_**To my beloved readers,**_

I would just like to extend a personal "thank you" from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has taken the time to read, comment, and review my first ever fan-fiction, "Risen."

When I first came up with the idea for this storyline, I never imagined it would evolve into the story that it had, and you, out there, are the people to thank. A special thank you to my closest friends, for believing in me and helping me believe in myself as I prepare to pursue a Master's in Creative Writing in the near future. To everyone I have met, talked to, and befriended during this adventure, I thank you all just as much for making this journey so enjoyable.

Numerous people have asked for a branch of this story, many in mind, had for a sequel. While I have a couple of ideas, I would like to, first, go in a different direction. I will be writing a PREQUEL to Risen, and there's a preview already up for it.

"**Silenced: The Tragedy of Taregosu Maya" will be a five-chapter short story guiding us through the life of the young, beautiful freedom fighter about a hundred years before the story of "Risen" takes place. **

**The preview for "Silenced" can be found on my profile page, feel free to check it out, though the first chapter's release isn't until March 9th, 2008.  
**

This is going to be a very challenging piece for me, as almost all of the settings, characters, and plot devices will be original, and I hope I will be able to express the mood of this story just as I had in the previous. I hope for this selection to be as good, if not, better, than Risen.

I hope everyone continues on with me in this new adventure, one that takes us on a trip over a century into the past, where unanswered questions and vivid imaginations can run wild. I enjoy writing for you, all of you, and I hope, from the bottom of my heart, that you continue to enjoy and express yourselves.

_**Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart. God bless.  
**_

_**Skye parlot.**_

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